KARACHI, Aug 4: The district and sessions judge, South, Agha Rafique Ahmed Khan, granted on Friday bail before arrest to a PPP MPA in the Eshwar Lal case.

The judge gave Murad Ali Shah, son of former Sindh Chief Minister Syed Abdullah Shah, interim bail in the sum of Rs50,000.

The police had cited five accused in the case. Of them four accused -- Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, leader of opposition in the provincial assembly, and three other PPP MPAs, Haji Munawar Ali Abbasi, Muhammad Nawaz Chandio and Muhammad Saleem Hingoro – were earlier granted bail before arrest in the sum of Rs50,000 each in the attempted murder case registered by ruling PML MPA Eshwar Lal.

The 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.

The police had cited Murad Ali Shah, resident of Nausherho Feroz, as fifth accused in the case. The MPA from Naushero Feroz belonged to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Q) and the court had also issued his non-bailable warrants for the arrest. The ruling party MPA, however, obtained pre-arrest bail from the court on the grounds that he was the namesake of the actual suspect in the case.

Shahadat Awan, counsel for PPP MPA Murad Ali Shah, contended that the police had substituted the ruling party MPA with his client as both the MPAs had common names.

He also argued that the actual accused MPA, who belonged to the ruling party, had already been granted bail by the court. “The applicant is apprehending his arrest by the police who are maliciously motivated for ulterior motives to favour the real accused at his instance and ruling party,” the defence counsel submitted.

Mr Lal alleged that he had terms with PPP MPA Ms Shazia Marri and he also exchanged gifts and greeting 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 along with eight to 10 men and came telling me that they would not spare me alive,” he alleged.

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.

DEMOLITION: The additional district and session judge, Karachi East, on Friday ordered registration of case against Korangi Town’s KDA wing chief engineer and 15 other officials for demolishing houses in Sector-50/A of Korangi, PPI adds.