PESHAWAR: A single-member Peshawar High Court bench has granted bail to two brothers facing the charge of killing their sister-in-law for honour around three months ago in Mardan district.

Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth accepted the bail petition of suspects Ikram and Bacha Khan on the condition of furnishing two surety bonds of Rs200,000 each.

According to the prosecution, the woman’s body was found in a field and her father alleged that his son-in-law, Rehmanuddin, and petitioners had committed the murder in the name of honour.

The FIR of the incidence was registered by the Rustam police station in Mardan on Feb 25, 2020, under sections 302, 311 and 34 of Pakistan Penal Code.

Suspects face charge of killing sister-in-law in Mardan district

Rehmanuddin has been at large since.

Shabbir Hussain Gigyani, lawyer for the petitioners, said his clients were falsely charged in the case. He said the deceased was engaged to another person but she left home against the desire of her family and made court marriage with Rehmanuddin.

The lawyer said suspect Rehmanuddin and the deceased had a love marriage, so there was no reason for him and petitioners to kill her. He added that there was a high likelihood that the woman was killed by her family or by her fiancé.

The lawyer said the police had not collected any corroborative evidence to connect the petitioners with the commission of the offence.

BAIL GRANTED: A bench of Justice Ikramullah Khan granted bail to a man allegedly held at the Bacha Khan International Airport, Peshawar, on the charge of smuggling narcotics, including crystal meth (ice) and charas, to Saudi Arabia.

It directed petitioner Ibrar Ahmad to furnish two surety bonds of Rs200,000 each.

Nosheen Ahmad and Mohammad Rehan, counsel for the petitioner, said their client was arrested in Dec 2018 and the law-enforcement agencies claimed that they had recovered 310gm ice and 1500gm charas from his luggage.

They said the petitioner had spent around 15 months behind bars and on statutory grounds of delay in conclusion of trial, he was entitled to be freed on bail.

Meanwhile, a single-member bench granted bail to suspects Khan Hassan and Sultan Khan in a Pakistan Air Force contractor kidnapping and murder case on the condition of furnishing two surety bonds of Rs400,000 each.

Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth issued the bail order after holding a hearing into the petition.

The petitioners were named along with two others in an FIR registered by the Jamrud police station in Khyber tribal district on Jan 25, 2020, under sections 365, 302 and 34 of Pakistan Penal Code.

Complainant Alif Khan, a brother of the deceased, claimed that four people had abducted his brother over a Rs180 million monetary dispute and pressured them for a settlement.

Counsel for the petitioners Shabbir Gigyani said no direct evidence was available against his clients.

He said the call data record of the two petitioners revealed that they were not present at the place from where the deceased was abducted.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2020