PESHAWAR, Nov 2: Police have withdrawn charges of terrorism against seven people, three of them union council nazims, accused of leading a violent mob and damaging government property in September.

Police deleted Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act from the FIR on advice of prosecutors.

After the decision, the accused withdrew their pre-arrest bail petition filed in an anti-terrorism court.

The applicants filed an application before the sessions court and were granted interim pre-arrest bail by Additional District and Sessions Judge Arshid Khan. The court fixed the next hearing for Nov 7.

The accused are: Tehkal I Union Council Nazim Atifur Rehman, Tehkal II UC Nazim Hassan Khan Khalil, Pawaka UC Nazim Kifayatullah Khalil, Councillor Momin Khan, Haji Said Afzal, Sadiq Khan and Daulat Khan.

An FIR was registered against them by the police under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Pakistan Penal Code for leading a violent demonstration against the Peshawar Electricity Supply Company over unscheduled loadshedding and other problems.