PESHAWAR, July 7: An office-bearer of Pakistan Muslim League (QA), Arbab Ghulam Haider, and three of his accomplices were convicted by a local court for killing a person and were sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment besides being fined Rs50,000 each.

The court of additional district and sessions judge, Shaiber Khan, ruled that the prosecution had proved its case beyond any shadow of doubt.

Soon after the verdict was pronounced, the accused and his supporters, started abusing the court officials. Mr Haider, who was on bail, was arrested inside the courtroom. One of his supporters, Rehamdil, was also arrested.

The accused, Ghulam Haider, had also remained chairman of a local khidmat committee during the government of Nawaz Sharif. After the formation of PML(QA) he left PML(N) and was made chief organiser of the party here.

Haider and the three other accused — Saeed Khan, Majid Khan and Khalid Khan — were charged with killing of Ishaq Khan at Naudia Bahadur on June 5, 1999. The deceased was a relative of Haider and they were embroiled in a domestic dispute.

Advocate Khawaja Muhammad Khan of Gara appeared for the defence, Asadullah Chamkani represented the complainant party, whereas public prosecutor Saleem Khan represented the state.

Bail Granted: The court of additional district and sessions judge allowed bail to two accused in the killing and rape case of a minor girl of 8 as the complainant did not charge them.

The court pronounced that the two accused — Bakhshish and Ayub — should be released once they furnished two surety bonds of Rs one lakh each.

The two accused were arrested last year by the officials of police station Pishtakhara after the gruesome murder of the child, Henna. Her autopsy report also proved that she was subjected to sexual assault before her death.

The girl was killed in an under-construction house last year by unknown persons. Her body was recovered from that place. The elders of the area had also addressed various press conferences, claiming that due to public pressure the police had arrested the two accused.