PESHAWAR: Former MNA and Jamaat-i-Islami leader Sabir Hussain Awan was arrested in a double murder case following the rejection of his pre-arrest bail petition by a local court on Thursday.

Additional district and sessions judge Mohammad Tayyab pronounced the order after the completion of arguments by both parties.

Petitioner Sabir Awan along with his two brothers, including Fazal Ghani Awan and Shah Hussain Awan, have been named in an FIR registered at the Chamkani police station on June 30, 2020, under Pakistan Penal Code sections 302, 324 and 34.

The complainant in the case is Tarnab area resident Kamran Paracha, who alleged that he along with his three brothers, including Farhan Paracha, Pervez Paracha and Mohammad Arshad and brother-in-law Israr were present on their plot regarding construction work when Sabir Awan along with his two brothers showed up and began firing weapons.

He added that the firing killed his brothers Farhan and Pervez and injured the third, Mohammad Arshad, while he and his brother-in-law escaped unhurt.

Altaf Khan, lawyer for the complainant, contended that his client was directly charged in the FIR for ‘effective firing’.

His pre-arrest bail plea was rejected by a Peshawar court

He pointed out that the petitioner had filed last year a pre-arrest bail petition, which was turned down by the court due to non-prosecution as the petitioner had absconded.

The lawyer contended that a brother of the petitioner, Fazal Ghani Awan, who was named in the case, was at large.

He added that his client was falsely implicated in the case as he was not present at the crime scene at the time of firing.

The lawyer added one of the accused in the case had already been granted bail by the Peshawar High Court and on the same grounds, the petitioner was also entitled to the concession of bail.

Altaf Khan rejected his arguments saying the accused released by the high court on bail was charged with causing injuries to Mohammad Arshad, whereas the present petitioner was directly charged with firing at one of the deceased, Farhan Paracha.

INDICTED: An accountability court has indicted four doctors, including two district health officers, for carrying out the illegal appointment of Class-IV employees at the Mian Rashid Hussain Shaheed Memorial Hospital, Pabbi, Nowshera.

The accused, including DHOs Dr Arshad Ahmad and Dr Abuzar, deputy district health officer Dr Tariq Khan and EPI coordinator Dr Mujtaba pleaded not guilty and decided to stand trial.

In a reference, the National Accountability Bureau, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, claimed that the appointment of 127 low-grade employees was challenged in the high court, which declared those appointments illegal.

It added that the high court had also ordered the NAB to conduct an investigation into those appointments.

The NAB alleged that the appointments in question were made in violation of Rule 10 of the Civil Servants Rules, while no advertisements were published in newspapers to fill those positions.

It added that the said act of the accused amounted to misuse of office, which was a crime under the National Accountability Ordinance 1999.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2021