PESHAWAR: An anti-terrorism court has granted bail to a man arrested in connection with the targeted-killing of a police inspector in May this year.

It accepted the plea of suspect Mehfooz, a resident of Surezai area in Peshawar, on condition of furnishing two surety bonds of Rs100,000 each.

The deceased, Inspector Sahar Gul, was killed on Kohat Road here on May 25, 2022, when he was going to work along with his son and nephew.

The murder case was registered at the counter-terrorism department police station under sections 302, 353 and 324 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Suspect Mehfooz was arrested with the police accusing him of having links with a terrorist organisation.

The petitioner’s counsel, Shabbir Hussain Gigyani, contended that there was no evidence of his client committing any wrongdoing and that he was falsely implicated in the case.

He argued that the investigation officer had not collected any evidence to show his client’s link with any terror outfit or with the commission of the police official’s murder.

The lawyer argued that merely on basis of assumptions and allegations, the petitioner could not be kept behind bars.

Meanwhile, the court also granted bail to a man arrested on the charge of killing a police constable and his driver in Jamrud area of Khyber tribal district last year.

It directed the suspect, Junaid, a resident of Jamrud, to produce two surety bonds of Rs200,000 each to avail himself of release on bail.

The deceased policeman, Kalimullah, and his driver, Andaz Gul, were gunned down in a car by terrorists, who rode a motorcycle, in Jamrud area.

The case was registered at the CTD police station under different provisions of the Pakistan Penal Codeand Anti-Terrorism Act.

The suspect was taken into custody with the help of intelligence reports and geo-fencing of the area. He was formally named in the double murder case by the CTD.

The petitioner’s counsel contended that his client was a ‘missing person’ as he remained in illegal custody of the law-enforcement agencies for many months.

He added that the petitioner was later implicated in the murder case but there was no evidence of his involvement in the crime.

The lawyer said that the petitioner wasn’t linked with any terrorist organisation.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2022