QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court on Tuesday accepted the bail plea submitted by former federal interior minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao in the murder case of late Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, DawnNews reported.

The former minister appeared before a division bench of the court hearing the Akbar Bugti murder case.

The court granted bail to Sherpao against a surety of rupees one million and adjourned the hearing to Sept 3.

During the proceedings, counsel for the former minister argued that his client was not involved in the case and that the operation against the late Baloch leader was carried out by the then president and chief of army staff Pervez Musharraf.

Speaking to reporters after being granted bail, Sherpao said he had no role in the military operation in Balochistan, adding that, whatever took place, happened at the behest of the provincial government.

Senior Judge of the Balochistan High Court Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel inquired if Sherpao being a politician could have at least protested over the operation carried out against Bugti by former dictator Pervez Musharraf.

Justice Mandokhel added that along with being a seasoned politician, Nawab Bugti was also a former chief minister and former governor of Balochistan.

The complainant in the case is Akbar Bugti’s elder son, Jamil Bugti, who named in the FIR then president General (r) Pervez Musharraf, then prime minister Shaukat Aziz, then Balochistan governor Owais Ghani, then interior minister Aftab Sherpao, then Balochistan chief minister Jam Yousuf and then provincial home minister Shoaib Nausherwani.

Mr Bugti was killed during a military operation on Aug 26, 2006.