KARACHI, Aug 17 A Sindh High Court bench on Monday granted protective bail in a sum of Rs100,000 to Balochistan Minister for Communications and Works Mir Sadiq Umrani in a 2008 case of killing of five persons.

The case was registered at the Meeranpur police station, Taluka Ghari Khairo, Jacobabad.

The applicant filed an interim pre-arrest bail before the SHC and his counsel, Syed Amjad Ali Shah, submitted that his client had a land dispute with rival Palal tribesmen of Sindh.

He contended that a false FIR nominating Mr Umrani and his brothers namely Abdul Sattar, Raza Ali, Liaquat Ali, Abdul Latif, Lal Mohammad, Muheen, Shahnawaz Danghar and three unidentified people as suspects in the murder case was registered.

According to the prosecution, armed men on the instigation of Sadiq

Umrani shot dead Begum Rani and her four sons - 18-year-old Abdul Qadir, six-year-old Fateh Mohammad, four-year-old Amir and two-year-old Nasir - at village Gulab Palal, Taluka Garhi Khairo, on April 6, 2008.

The counsel stated that his client, who is an MPA of Balochistan and chief of the Umrani tribe, was named a co-accused in the charge-sheet, which was submitted before the Jacobabad sessions court.

The applicant wanted to appear in the trial court in Jacobabad, but apprehended of being arrested. He prayed to the court to grant him pre-arrest bail so that he could appear before the trial court and join the investigation.—PPI