PESHAWAR, May 18: An accountability court here on Friday turned down an application of the National Accountability Bureau for summoning three additional witnesses, including Federal Finance Secretary Younus Khan, in the famous Ring Road land acquisition case.

The court, presided over by Said Maroof Khan, observed that the three additional witnesses — federal finance secretary Younus Khan, a former chief secretary of the NWFP Khalid Aziz, and former secretary of Physical Planning and Housing Department Abdul Lateef — were not related to the case.

The prosecution had filed the instant application, praying to the court that the three persons and a Patwari were directly related to the case and they should be summoned as additional prosecution witnesses.

Advocate Amjad Zia appeared for the prosecution and argued that the four persons were directly related to the case and their testimony was necessary. He said that Younus Khan was provincial secretary finance, Khalid Aziz was an additional chief secretary and Lateef was secretary PP&H, therefore, they should be summoned.

Advocate Zaffar Abbas Zaidi, appearing for Aftab Sherpao, and counsel for Sattar Khan and former senator Haji Gul Sher opposed the application.

They stated that when their testimony was necessary then why they were not included in the list of witnesses in the first instance. The court fixed May 22 for next hearing.

Meanwhile, a division bench of the Peshawar High Court will take up for hearing bail application of Aftab Sherpao in the Ring Road case on May 23.

The applicant has stated that he was not related to the instant case and he should be allowed bail. He added that he was only a co-accused and the evidence available on record did not corroborate his involvement in the case.