PESHAWAR, July 25: A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court has upheld the conviction of a person by an anti-terrorism court for raping a teenaged girl.

Appellant Hameed Khan, 45, of Mardan had raped the girl, 13, to avenge the elopement of his daughter with the victim’s brother.

An FIR was registered by Ms Baitul Urm, mother of the raped girl.

Mr Khan was sentenced to life imprisonment by the anti-terrorism court in Mardan on May 22, 2003.

The PHC bench, comprising Justice Shahjehan Khan and Justice Ijazul Hassan, observed that the prosecution had fully proved its case against the appellant.

He was convicted for a very heinous and inhuman crime for which he did not deserve any leniency, the bench added.

The victim’s mother said that a few days before the rape, the daughter of the accused had eloped with her son Jehangir, but claimed that they returned the girl to her parents.

A medical report confirmed that the girl was raped.

BAIL GRANTED: A single bench of the high court has granted bail to an accused in the murder case of union Nazim Arbab Humayun.

The bench comprising Justice Fazlur Rehman Khan directed that accused-applicant Noor Muhammad should be released on furnishing two sureties of Rs3,00,000 each.

The Nazim was killed on Sept 11, 2002, in the district courts here.

His relatives had charged their rivals Jehanzeb Ajmal and Noor Muhammad for the offence.

The applicant’s counsel argued that the prime accused in the case had been absconding and there was no evidence against his client to prove his involvement in the case.

Jehangir and Ajmal have been absconding.