RAWALPINDI, Sept 21: An anti-terrorism court judge here on Friday granted interim bail to an associate of former chief cleric of Lal Masjid who had been suspected of being involved in the murder of a ranger.

ATC Judge Habibur Rehman granted interim bail to Dost Mohammad Mazari against the surety bonds of Rs100,000 till September 29.

Mr Mazari sought bail after police stated that he was required for investigation in the murder case. Reports say that Mr Mazari enjoyed close relations with Maulana Abdul Aziz.

Meanwhile an additional district and sessions judge asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to produce record before the court after three men arrested in connection with defrauding some Chinese Muslims on the pretext of sending them to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage moved a bail application.

Judge Shaukat Mehmood asked the FIA authorities to present details of the case before the court on September 22 after the three accused Allama Ayaz Zaheer Hashmi, chairman of National Peace (Aman) Council; Sahibzada Naeemur Rehman Naeemi, chairman Muslim League Ulema and Mashaikh Wing AJK, and Mohammad Shakoor moved the court for bail.

According to available details, the three accused obtained some $20,000 from 58 Chinese Muslims to send them on pilgrimage but they disappeared in Karachi in early 2006, leaving foreigners in the lurch. After facing a lot of hardships the Chinese Muslims came to Rawalpindi and protested against the fraudsters.

Later the accused were arrested and the Chinese were sent to Saudi Arabia through funds raised by the lawyers.

The lawyers got an FIR registered against the accused and the FIA later registered a human smuggling case against the three men. The judge on Friday admitted the bail application and sought the record of the case.