HYDERABAD, March 10: The Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, on Wednesday granted protective bail to an ASI of the Gadap police station, Karachi, in two separate cases of the murder of Sassi and Hajira and negligence in duty.

ASI Pawan Kumar was granted bail for one week by Justice Afzal Soomro of the SHC in the sum of Rs200,000 in the murder case and in the sum of Rs100,000 in the case of negligence in duty.

The applicant's counsel argued before the court that his client had been nominated in FIR on account of enmity though he had registered a report when the girls had gone missing.

He said no specific role had been assigned to his client in the murder case and that his client had not committed any offence. He claimed that the ASI was implicated in the case at the insistence of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.

The counsel stated that the applicant was residing in Mithi and it was not possible for him to approach the session judge of Malir as police had cordoned off the court.

HONORARIUM: Women members of the City Taluka Council on Monday staged a sit-in in the council hall to protest against the non-payment of honorarium to councillors.

Rana Siddiqui, who rose on a point of order at the taluka council session, regretted that women councillors had also not been provided with other facilities in the local government system.