QUETTA, Nov 20: The Balochistan High Court on Monday declared the freezing of bank accounts of Senator Shahid Hassan Bugti, secretary-general of the Jamhoori Watan Party, by the ministry of interior as illegal and directed the banks concerned to release the accounts.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Amanullah Khan Yasinzai and Justice Akhtar Zaman Malghani observed that if the petitioner was associated to the defunct Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) then he should have been disqualified from the Senate seat.

The petitioner had filed the petition on August 2, challenging the July 15, 2006 notification of the interior ministry regarding the freezing of his bank accounts by the orders of the State Bank of Pakistan on the directives of the federal government.

He prayed before the court to declare the notification as null and void.