PESHAWAR, July 13: A local Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) on Wednesday granted bail to 13 accused, including area leaders of Jamaat-i-Islami, in the case involving ransack of Balmeek temple and adjacent houses in Nowshera Cantonment few days ago. ATC judge Shahjee Rehman Khan directed the accused to furnish two sureties of Rs100,000 each.

Applicants/accused Zafarul Islam Faroqui, Raj Muhammad, Attique, Abid Mahmood, Younas, Zulfiqar, Nazish Iqbal, Faheem, Asad Tariq, Fahad Tariq, Abdul Hadi, Waqas Shehzad and Kaleemul Islam were arrested after the Balmeek Temple and some houses of Hindu and Christian communities were attacked by a mob to avenge alleged sacrilege of Holy Quran allegedly by a man belonging to minority community.

Advocates Ijaz Ahmad Khan and Syed Shah Hussain appearing for the applicants contended that their clients had been implicated in the case. They pointed out that a compromise had reached between the Muslims, the Hindus and the Christians of Nowshera Cantonment and they had forgiven each other.

They stated that after the compromise both the parties decided not to press charges against each other.

Some elders of Hindu and Christian communities also appeared before the court and stated that they had no objection if the applicants were released on bail. They stated that the two incidents were based on misunderstandings and they had already entered into an agreement with the applicants.

The incidents had occurred on June 28 w hen one Yousaf Masih was arrested on the charge of desecrating the Holy Quran. The same night an unruly mob attacked, ransacked and put on fire some portions of Balmeek temple. They also ransacked about eight houses adjacent to the temple. Later the police arrested the applicants on the charges under section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, and section 295-A, 148 and 149 of Pakistan Penal Code.