PESHAWAR, Feb 4: The Peshawar High Court on Friday admitted for full hearing two bail petitions of former provincial minister Bashir Khan Umerzai charged with making attempts on the life of an MPA, Alamzeb Umerzai.

A single-judge bench of Justice Tallat Qayyum Qureshi observed that the points raised by the petitioner's counsel needed consideration. The bench issued notice to the respondents including provincial government and Alamzeb Umerzai.

Advocate Qazi Mohammad Anwer appeared for the petitioner and argued that Mr Bashir was falsely implicated in these cases. He argued that in one of the cases the other co-accused had already been acquitted whereas in the other case they were on bail.

Mr Bashir had been absconding since two life attempts were made on the life of Mr Alamzeb in 2002 and 2003, which had resulted in killing of two persons. He surrendered to the Peshawar district and sessions judge on Dec 2, 2004, and was granted transit pre-arrest bail.

He was later on arrested in Charssada and recently his bail applications were dismissed by the Charssada district and sessions judge, Ms Irshad Qaiser. In one of the two cases, on July 4, 2002, some unidentified assailants opened fire at Alamzeb while he was travelling in a vehicle.

The attack had resulted in the killing of Hameedullah Khan, a friend of Alamzeb who was travelling with him. Bashir Umerzai, his two sons, Shakeel and Mansoor, his son-in-law, Kamal Nasir, his nephew Masood and another relative Riaz Khan, were charged by Alamzeb in that case.

Alamzeb also escaped another attack on Feb 2, 2003, and one of his friends Ayaz Khan got killed in it. The same accused in the earlier case were also charged in that case.

Except, Bashir Umerzai, the other accused persons were arrested in the two cases. In the first case they were granted bail by a court in Charssada. In the second case, they were acquitted by the trial court in Charssada. While the court acquitted them in the second case perpetual arrest warrants of Bashir Umerzai were also issued.