PESHAWAR, Sept 8: The Peshawar High Court on Monday granted bail to a juvenile offender accused of propagating Ahmadi faith.

A single bench comprising Justice Ijazul Hassan directed that petitioner Suleman Ahmad should be released after furnishing two sureties of Rs1,00,000 each.

The boy was arrested from D.I.Khan on June 26, 2003, on the complaint of a leader of the Tehrik-i-Khatm-i-Nabuwat, Qari Mahmood.

Mr Mahmood had alleged that Suleman was an Ahmadi, but even then he was leading prayers in a local gymnasium posing himself as a Muslim and also distributing pamphlets about his faith.

But the boy has denied all the charges, stating that he had never distributed any pamphlets.

He was charged under Section 298-C of Chapter XV of the PPC, a chapter dealing with offences relating to religion.

Under the law a person of Ahmadi faith posing himself as a Muslim or preaching his faith can be jailed for up to three years.

Earlier, the D.I.Khan district and sessions judge and a judicial magistrate had dismissed his bail applications, observing that releasing him on bail would create law and order problems in the area.

Advocate Mian Hassamuddin appeared for the petitioner and argued that the boy should have been dealt with under the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance, 2000. He was entitled to bail, but was not granted the same by any lower courts, he regretted.

The advocate stated that according to his matriculation certificate, he was born on Nov 11, 1985, and he was below 18 at the time of arrest.

Mr Hassamuddin argued that the boy was implicated in the case and had nothing to do with the offence. He added that the controversial pamphlets were also not placed on record.

Advocate Essa Khan appeared for the complainant and argued that the accused was posing himself as a Muslim, which was a crime under the PPC. He was directly charged in the FIR and was not entitled to bail, Mr Khan said.