QUETTA, March 27: Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Mohammad Hashim Kakar has approved the bail application of a Pakistani journalist and ordered his release on Saturday.

However, he was not released from the jail for not depositing Rs200,000 surety bonds and other legal formalities, and was expected to be release on Monday.

Khawar Mehdi and two others, Abdullah Shakir and Syed Allah Noor, were arrested along with two French journalists on Dec 16, 2003, for making a fake video film showing Taliban training camps and other activities in Balochistan.

The defence councils for the accused, Arif Hussain and Habib Tahir, had submitted bail application of Khawar Mehdi with the court and prayed before the court his release on bail.

The court accepting the bail application ordered his release against Rs200,000 surety bonds.

The court also issued arrest warrants of five other accused involved in the case, who had been already been declared absconders. They included Qabahat Ali, Nazar Ali, Ajmal Khan and Lalai.