KOHAT: The additional district and sessions judge-VI approved the bail of former minister Amjid Afridi, who was arrested in the high-profile murder case of former district nazim and businessman Malik Asad Khan.

The order for his release was issued on Friday but the jail authorities refused on the grounds that so far they had not received it, and there were some discrepancies in the surety bonds. However, he was released on Saturday after the judge asked his lawyer to submit two surety bonds worth Rs500,000 each.

Mr Afridi had been nominated in the FIR and was arrested by the Kohat police from Islamabad a week after the assassination on April 15, 2025, along with four other accused.

Their names had been put on the Exit Control List and one of them, Hashim, was apprehended from the Islamabad airport while fleeing to Dubai, who spilled the beans, on the basis of which, Malik Amjid along with three others was held.

Amjid Afridi was arrested in Islamabad along with four other accused

In the confessional statement, Hashim said that Malik Amjid had given eight people Rs5 million for the murder of Malik Asad, district police officer Dr Zahidullah had revealed at a press conference.

Malik Asad was killed while going to Rawalpindi by the armed inmates of a car, which was chasing him from his home, he had added.

Malik Asad was the brother of Malik Saad, capital city police officer, Peshawar, who was martyred in a suicide attack.

NO LOADSHEDDING: The district administration has announced there will be no loadshedding of electricity and gas during Muharram and no religious scholars of any sect will be allowed to make provocative speeches.

Deputy commissioner Abdul Akram Chitrali and district police officer Dr Zahidullah assured this while addressing separate jirgas.

It was decided that special arrangements would be made for foolproof security of mourners, ensuring cleanliness along the procession routes, around mosques and imambargahs, and smooth water supply.

It was also decided that a strict watch would be kept on people coming from outside, and no one would be allowed to disturb the peaceful environment of Kohat.

A special traffic plan was also okayed.

MNA Shehryar Afridi, chairman district development advisory committee MPA Shafi Jan and MPA Daud Shah Advocate were also present.

PROTEST: Women staffers of the handicraft centre of the tehsil municipal administration demonstrated in front of the Kohat Press Club the other day against their expulsion from service.

Holding placards they said it was their right to be regularised after 10 years of service. They said 18th Constitutional Amendment stipulated that service of every government servant should be regularised after three years of service.

The workers also complained they had not been paid Rs10,000 salary for five months, and now their services had also been terminated without any valid reason.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2025