May 13, 2007	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 25, 1428

PESHAWAR, May 12: Miftahuddin Khan, district and sessions judge for Peshawar, allowed on Saturday a pre-arrest interim bail to the Awami National Party’s senior vice-president Haji Ghulam Bilour, his brother and MPA Bashir Bilour, and Bashir’s son Haroon Bilour in the murder case of PPP leader Syed Qamar Abbas and his friend.

The court fixed May 19 for confirmation of bail and directed them to appear before the concerned judge, Syed Zamarud Shah. The court also issued notices to the complainant party and the state.

The three applicants were granted a pre-arrest transit bail on May 8 by a court in Charsadda district which had directed them to approach the Peshawar district and sessions judge until May 14.

A panel of senior lawyers, including Barrister Zahoorul Haq, Abdul Lateef Afridi, Asadullah Chamkani and Ishtiaq Ibraheem appeared for the three applicants.

The complainant in the case, Syed Tahir Abbas, has nominated the three brothers — Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Senator Ilyas Ahmad Bilour and Bashir Ahmad Bilour — besides Bashir’s sons Haroon and Usman Bilour for the killing of Qamar Abbas and his friend, Muhammad Ali. They were killed on May 6 near Hashtnagri area in Peshawar.

Ilyas Bilour and Usman Bilour did not approach the court as they are stated to be out of the country.

The applicants’ counsel contended that they were falsely implicated in the case. They added that there was not a single evidence on record which could connect the applicants with the offence.

The deceased Qamar Abbas and his two bodyguards were charged with the murder of Shabir Ahmad Bilour, the lone son of Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, at a polling station during general elections in 1997. He was acquitted by the trial court, but no patch-up took place.