GILGIT, July 27: Northern Areas Chief Court Chairman Justice Muzaffar H. Malik on Friday accepted the bail pleas of five lawyers of the Northern Areas Young Lawyers Forum and an activist of the Karakoram National Movement (KNM).

The lawyers, Asadullah Khan, Amjad Hussain, Muhammad Farooq, Muzaffar and Manzoor Ahmed, and KNM activist Ghazi Anwer were arrested on June 4 for protesting against the cancellation of their licenses and the issuance of contempt of the court notices by the registrar of the chief court. The court released them on bail.