PESHAWAR, July 18: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday granted bail to a couple arrested under the Hudood laws.

Shaheen had told a single bench, comprising Justice Nasirul Mulk, that she had married Masood Iqbal of her own free will.

The bench observed that the marriage solemnized without the consent of the girl’s Wali could not be declared illegal as both the accused were major. The court had directed the police to produce the couple before the bench.

The couple was arrested after their pre-arrest bail application had been dismissed by the district and sessions judge of Karak. The case began on an FIR lodged by Mudassir Khan, the father of the female accused, with the Latamber police. They remained behind bars since May 7.

The bench directed that the couple should be released after furnishing two sureties each of Rs100,000. For the safety of the couple, the bench directed Shaheen’s brother, who was present in the courtroom, not to follow them and to stay in the court for an hour.

Advocate Abdul Lateef Afridi appeared for the applicants and argued that the girl was legally entitled to marry of her own free will. He said the couple had solemnized nikah in accordance with the law. He produced the report of a radiologist, showing her age was about 18 or 19 years.