CHARSADDA/PESHAWAR, May 8: The Charsadda district and sessions judge on Tuesday granted a pre-arrest bail to Awami National Party’s senior vice-president Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, MPA Bashir Bilour and his son Haroon Bilour in the murder case of two persons, including PPP leader Syed Qamar Abbas.

The three had filed an application in the court, seeking a pre-arrest bail. The judge, Ghulam Mohiuddin Khan, granted a transit bail until May 14 and directed the three to approach the concerned court in Peshawar before that date.

The complainant in the case, Syed Tahir Abbas, has nominated brothers Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour (a former federal minister), Senator Ilyas Ahmad Bilour and Bashir Ahmad Bilour, besides Bashir’s sons Haroon and Usman Bilour for the killing of Qamar Abbas and his friend Muhammad Ali. The two were killed on May 6 near Hashtnagri area in Peshawar.

Ilyas Bilour and Usman Bilour have not approached the court for bail, as they are stated to be out of the country.

The deceased Qamar Abbas and his two bodyguards were charged with the murder of Shabir Ahmad Bilour, the only son of Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, at a polling station during general elections in 1997. He was later acquitted by the court.

PPP statement: The People’s Party Parliamentarians has said that the murder of Syed Qamar Abbas was political in nature and had nothing to do with sectarianism as claimed by the Awami National Party.

Speaking at a joint press conference here at the Peshawar Press Club, PPP leaders Zulfiqar Afghani and Fareed Toofan said there was no need for a press conference following the registration of an FIR against the killers. But they had to hold a press conference because the ANP central and provincial leaders had tried to mislead the public about the assassination of Qamar Abbas, who was a committed political worker.

Mr Afghani said Qamar Abbas, who was acquitted by the court in the accidental murder of Shabbir Bilour, had tried to assure the Bilour family, particularly Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, that he was not involved in the murder of their relative.

Meanwhile, the Awami National Party has expressed concern over, what it called, attempts by leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party to politicise the murder of its leader Syed Qamar Abbas.

It also asked the PPP leaders to await the outcome of the legal process regarding the murder of Mr Abbas, adding that tolerance and restraint shown by the ANP should not be viewed as its weakness. This was stated at a party meeting held under the chairmanship of its provincial president Afrasiab Khattak at the Bacha Khan Markaz.