HARIPUR, April 25: A local court here on Friday accepted the bail application of former provincial minister and sitting ANP MPA Akhtar Nawaz Khan who was arrested on charges of murdering uncle of Haripur tehsil nazim Iftikhar Ahmed Khan.

Anwar Khan, the paternal uncle of Iftikhar Ahmed Khan, had been killed while seven others wounded when some attackers opened fire on them on Feb 20.

The complainant Zulfiqar Ahmed Khan advocate, the nephew of the deceased, had nominated Akhtar Nawaz Khan, his father Goher-ur-Rehman Khan, son Babar Nawaz Khan, nephew Sami Ullah Khan, brothers Saeed Khan, Mehr Nishad Khan and maternal uncle Jehanzeb Khan in the FIR. Akhtar Nawaz Khan was directly charged with opening fire on the deceased.

A case under sections 302, 324, 348 and 149 of the PPC was registered with Khalabat Township police station against the accused.

Akhtar Nawaz, his two brothers and son obtained transit bail from Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore Hight Court on Feb 22 and filed application for confirmation of the bail in the court of Syed Muzamal Shah, Additional Sessions Judge-II, Haripur. However the same court cancelled the transit bail of the accused on April 2 and the MPA was arrested the same day.

The counsels for the accused MPA again moved the bail application in the court of additional sessions judge, and the court after hearing arguments from both the sides announced acceptance of the bail application and ordered the police to set Akhtar Nawaz Khan free against two sureties each amounting to Rs200,000.