PESHAWAR, Dec 19: Police have dropped charges of terrorism against a low-ranking employee of the Intelligence Bureau, accused of planting explosives near the Chief Minister Secretariat.

Naib-qasid Mohammed Tufail was earlier charged under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act and section 5 of the Explosive Substance Act. However, now Tufail will only be tried under the latter section.

It is learnt that the terrorism charges were omitted from the FIR -- lodged with the East Cantonment police station on December 5 -- on the directives of the prosecution directorate issued on the recommendation of the district public prosecutor.

A joint investigation team -- comprising senior FIA official Sharif Virk, Additional Director General FIA Tariq Khosa, DIG Hazara Range Zulfiqar Cheema and DIG (operation) Malik Saad -- had also recommended chopping of the said section from the FIR, observing that Tufail’s was not an act of terrorism.

Meanwhile, a local court has granted bail to Tufail in a case pertaining to resisting arrest.

However, Tufail will have to stay in prison as he has yet to get a bail in the case concerning explosives.

Fakhre Alam Jhagra, counsel for Tufail, contended that there was no evidence to prove that the accused had resisted his arrest.

The case had been registered by the police allegedly after a joint director of the IB had visited the East Cantonment police station, taking with him Tufail and the explosive stick planted near the CM Secretariat.