SHEIKHUPURA, Oct 16: Nankana lawyers and a civilian, who had been in detention under MPO 3 in the district jail for the last 20 days, were released on bail by the Lahore High Court on Saturday.

Those released were: NBA president Rana Ali Asghar, secretary-general Anwar Zahid, former presidents Chaudhry Barkat Ali Ghayur and Rai Amin Bhatti and Tehrik Khatm-i-Nabuwat district president Abdul Hameed Rehmani.

They were detained on the charge of allegedly ransacking and damaging the Sikh properties in Nankana Sahib. They were also charged with delivering provocative speeches against the rulers.

Soon after their release, the NBA office bearers were taken to Sheikhupura Bar Association hall where they were greeted by the bar members. A full reference meeting was convened by SBA president Mazhar Sidhu to pay tribute to freed lawyers.

Mr Sidhu said that our colleagues were implicated in false and fabricated cases of sedition, MPO 16 and MPO 3.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Ghayur said that both the Muslim and Sikh communities had been living together like brothers for the last several decades. Therefore, he said, the question of damaging or ransacking each other's properties did not arise at all.

He said when the students of Government Guru Nanak College had taken out a protest procession against the vacation of their college, he and three other lawyers - Amin Bhatti, Anwar Zahid and Rana Ali Asghar had offered their services to resolve the matter amicably. But the administration had taken a wrong impression as if we were instigating the students against the rulers.

"We had not delivered provocative speeches against the rulers particularly president. Being a true Muslim we regard and respect the Sikhs and other minorities residing in Nankana and other localities with the core of our hearts", he said.

The lawyers passed a unanimous resolution and condemned the illegal detention of their colleagues. The next hearing of the case was fixed on Oct 28.

HOUSE ROBBERIES: Sixteen gunmen robbed two houses in Sacha Souda town, some 16 kilometres from here, at around Sehri on Saturday.