PESHAWAR, Sept 29: An anti-terrorism court here on Friday granted interim pre-arrest bail to seven people including three union council nazims and a councillor, charged with damaging government property during a demonstration against Peshawar Electricity Supply Company (Pesco).

The court presided over by Shahjee Rehman directed the applicants to furnish two sureties of Rs100,000 each. The court fixed October 7 for next hearing of the applications.

The applicants included the nazims of union councils Tehkal I, Tehkal II and Pawaka named Atifur Rehman, Hassan Khan Khalil and Kifayatullah Khalil respectively, a union councillor Momin Khan, and three others Haji Said Afzal, Sadiq Khan and Daulat Khan.

An FIR was registered against them by the local police on September 25 under section 7 of the Anti Terrorism Act and sections 427, 148, 149 and 506 of Pakistan Penal Code.

The applicants have been charged with leading a violent demonstration against the Pesco. Demonstrating against unscheduled loadshedding and some other problems relating to electricity, they uprooted various electricity poles and damaged other properties.

The applicants’ counsel argued that they were innocent and falsely implicated in the case. He contended that there was no evidence on record to prove that the applicants had indulged in damaging government property.