PESHAWAR, March 5: A district and sessions court on Saturday granted transit bail to a woman artiste charged with performing in a music programme at the Government Degree College, Tank, in violation of a government ban on public performance.

Judge Hayat Ali Shah had directed artiste Samia Naz to furnish two sureties of Rs50,000 each for the bail.

The court granted the bail till March 14, directing the artiste to appear before the judge on that date.

Police accused Ms Naz of performing in a music programme arranged by the Peoples Students Federation (PSF) in the college.

Local religious leaders had opposed the programme and warned students against holding of the function.

Before the function began, the Tank police had cordoned off all roads leading to the college, but the artiste had reportedly reached the venue and performed on the stage for about two hours.

Various activists of the PSF and leaders of the PPP, including its provincial finance secretary, Engineer Ghani Gul Mehsud, have been charged in the case. The government has suspended the college's principal for not checking the activity.

The artiste is charged under Section 153 (giving provocation with intent to cause riot), Section 153-A (promoting enmity between groups) and Section 294 (objectionable acts and songs at public places) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Advocate Mian Abdul Fayyaz appeared for the applicant and contended that she had been implicated in the case.

Mr Fayyaz stated that she could not reach the venue because the police had been searching for her. He requested the court to grant her transit bail so that she could easily appear before the court concerned in Tank.