PESHAWAR: A local court on Saturday granted an interim pre-arrest bail to a woman for firing gunshots in the air.

The bail was granted by additional district and sessions judge Javeria Sartaj, who ordered the suspect, Saba Jaffar, to furnish two surety bonds valuing Rs80,000 each.

The court also asked the local police to produce the case records on Dec 20.

Officials of the Tatara police station in Hayatabad Township registered an FIR against the woman after a video showing her woman fire in the air went viral on social media.

She was booked under sections 3 and 4 of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Prohibition of Firing and Use of Explosive Substance at Marriages and other Ceremonies) Act, 1988.

Lawyer for the suspect told the court that there was mala fide and ulterior motive on part of the police against his client.

He added that the offence was bailable, so his client should be allowed pre-arrest bail.

The relevant assistant superintendent of police, Hassan Jehangir, said the woman was identified with the people’s support on social media.

An official of the Tatara police station said the woman’s house was raided but she wasn’t there.

He said the police had booked the woman’s brother, Haider Ali, under Section 107 of the Code of Criminal Procedure dealing with the breach of peace and disturbing of public tranquility.

The official said the police had tried in vain to trace the woman as she had gone into hiding.

The offence of firing in the air is punishable up to one year imprisonment or fine up to Rs10,000, or both.

Section 3 of the law prohibits firing and use of explosive substances on the occasion of a marriage or any other ceremony, including a political reception or procession, or stray firing at a public place.

Published in Dawn, December 15th, 2019