PESHAWAR, July 7: The Peshawar High Court on Monday granted bail to an alleged member of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan. The accused was arrested few months ago in connection with a shootout during which two alleged militants were killed in Charsadda.

A single bench comprising Justice Said Maroof Khan ordered that the accused, Lal Mir, should be released after furnishing two surety bonds of Rs200,000 each. The bench observed that the accused was not charged in the FIR and keeping in view the evidence on record he deserved to be released on bail.

The accused was arrested in the light of statement given by an alleged militant, who was arrested in injured condition by the police on Feb 26, 2008, after an encounter during which a notorious outlaw turned militant Siyar Khan and one of his accomplices were killed.

The police suspected that Siyar alias Siare was involved in two suicide bombings targeting PPP-S leader Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao when he was the interior minister. According to prosecution the security personnel had intercepted the armed group near Dildar Garhi, some 15 kilometres northwest of Charsadda town.

The encounter in which the two outlaws were killed lasted for about an hour.

Police also seized assault rifles, ammunition, hand grenades and a vehicle.

Advocate Asghar Khan appeared for the petitioner and argued that according to police five persons were intercepted by them out of which two were killed and the third one, Zakir, was arrested.

He added that the FIR of the shootout was registered at Battagram police station on Feb 26 in which five persons Siyar Khan, Umer, Nasrullah, Daud and Zakir were named. The counsel argued that later on the police also arrested the applicant stating that he was an accomplice of Siyar and involved in various acts of terrorism.

He argued that the police had no evidence against the petitioner and he was implicated in a fabricated case. Moreover, he added that the petitioner was not charged in the FIR.

The state counsel argued that the petitioner had confessed before the police that he was a member of Tehrik-i-Taliban and in past various supporters of Baitullah Mehsud used to stay with him.

He argued that the accused Zakir had told the police that the petitioner was their accomplice. He added that the killed militant, Siyar, had also fought in Afghanistan and were involved in numerous cases of terrorism.