LAHORE, Dec 6: An Anti-Terrorism Court on Thursday granted pre-arrest interim bail to former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif till Saturday (tomorrow) in the Sabzazar shootout case, directing him to join investigation.

The court ordered him to furnish two bail bonds in the sum of Rs50,000 each for availing the bail. Shahbaz appeared before the court and pleaded for bail through his lawyer, Imtiaz Kaifi.

The court observed that it had to declare Shahbaz an absconder after he did not ensure his presence despite repeated notices.

Kaifi said the government had blocked his client from appearing before the court, as evident from his failed attempt to return to Pakistan in 2004.

He said the accused wanted to contest the case to establish his innocence and was never reluctant from appearing before the court. He requested the court to grant him bail.