MULTAN, July 16: A local court confirmed bail of 10 PPP activists booked under MPO 16 and Section 341 PPC for intercepting vehicle of Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz. The accused were on pre-arrest bail since the incident took place on June 20.

The PPP was protesting in front of the press club against the killing of Munawwar Soharwardi when the minister's motorcade passed by. On seeing the official vehicles, the protesters chanted slogans against the government and lawlessness.

The minister was in town to launch credit card introduced by a bank for farmers. The police later registered a case against 14 PPP workers, including former federal minister Mukhtar Awan and Punjab Bar Council senior member Habibullah Shakir.

Four of the nominated activists were rounded up by the police while the rest secured interim bails. Their counsels pleaded that the police registered the case 48 hours after the incident and that the natural witness of the matter was Mr Aziz but his statement (if any) was not the part of the case record.

They said the case was instituted by the police just to victimize the opposition workers. The public prosecutor opposed the arguments saying the accused raised anti-government slogans and intercepted the minister's vehicle. "The act created harassment in the society at large," he added.

The court, however, granted bails to the 10 accused against the bails bond of Rs50,000 each. It may be recalled that the four arrested activists have already been released by the High Court.