KARACHI, July 13: Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, leader of the opposition in the provincial assembly, and three other MPA of the Pakistan People’s Party were granted on Thursday pre-arrest bail by the district and sessions court in an attempted murder case registered by ruling PML MPA Ishwar Lal.

Judge Agha Rafiq Ahmed Khan gave Mr Khuhro, Haji Munawar Ali Abbasi, Muhammad Nawaz Chandio and Muhammad Saleem Hingoro bail before arrest in the sum of Rs50,000 each.

The four PPP MPAs were booked under Sections 324, 506-B, 109 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code for attempted murder on the complaint of the ruling party MPA by the Preedy police on June 26.

Mr Lal alleged that he knew PPP MPA Shazia Marri and he also exchanged gifts and greetings with her during his festivals. He said he was told about the illness of Ms Marri and on June 21 he inquired about her well-being through a note on a piece of paper during the assembly session.The ruling party MPA alleged that the female MPA read the note and later gave it to the leader of opposition, who along with Ms Marri and other PPP MPAs went out of the assembly hall. “After a short while, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Muneer Abbasi, Muhammad Nawaz Chandio, Saleem Hingoro and other MPAs returned with eight to 10 men and came to me telling me that they would not spare me alive”, he said.

Mr Lal further alleged that the PPP MPAs then started beating him with fists and kicks and they tried to kill him. He said in the meantime Mahi Khan Wasan, Abdur Razaque Dahmoo and other MPAs rescued him.

He reported to the police that he was scared after the incident and confined himself to his house for a few days.

Defence counsel Shahadat Awan contended that the opposition party MPAs were implicated by the complainant at the behest of the ruling party. “The PPP MPAs have never hesitated to raise their voice against the misdeeds of the government and the present government continued to be selective and discriminatory against the legislators of the opposition,” he submitted.

The defence counsel argued that the case against opposition MPAs had been registered with ulterior motives of the ruling party, which was maliciously motivated to harass the opponents.

He argued that the police had no jurisdiction to entertain the report of the complainant as the speaker had already taken notice of the incident and he had also announced his ruling to the effect.

Shahadat Awan submitted that the FIR against PPP MPAs had been lodged in violation of the provisions contained in Provincial Assembly of Sindh Privilege Act, 1972.

He further contended that no offence under Sections 324, 506-B, 109 and 34 of the PPC could be made out from the contents of the FIR as it was a case of no injury and that there were only general allegation with no specific roles assigned to any of the applicants.

The defence counsel stated that the “abetment” had been presumed without any evidence and it had no legal value in the eyes of law. He contended that the case fell within the ambit of further inquiry as provided under Section 497 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code.