Ghazain remanded to Levies for 5 more days

ATC reserves judgment on his bail application

QUETTA: A district and sessions court on Thursday remanded Nawabzada Ghazain Marri to Balochistan Levies’ custody for another five days for further investigation into a 2004 bomb blast case.

Kohlu Police registered the case of murder and attempted murder against Ghazain, Balochistan’s former home minister, on June 2004 for his alleged involvement in attacking a Levies Station. In the said attack two Levies officials were killed.

On Thursday, Ghazain was brought to the court amid heightened security as the Levies counsel requested the court to extend the remand, saying interrogation of the accused had not completed.

The court asked Ghazain if he was convenient in Levies’ custody or facing any health issues. The tribal chieftain, however, refused to disclose his health condition, saying such information might be used against him.



Conceding to Levies’ request, District and Sessions Court Judge Mohammad Hanif later extended the remand period of Ghazain, who is currently under Levies Force’s custody.

Separately, an antiterrorism court’s judge Rafiq Langove reserved judgment on his bail application after lawyers on both sides completed their arguments. The verdict is expected to be announced on Friday.

Son of Marri tribe’s former chief Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, Ghazain has been facing multiple cases including one related to the January 2000 assassination of a Balochistan High Court judge Nawaz Marri.

Ghazain, who has been living in the UAE in self-exile since 2000, was arrested right after his arrival at the Quetta international Airport on September 22.  He had told the media in Dubai prior to his departure that he would face all the cases in Pakistan and join the mainstream politics.

Ghazain is a younger brother of PML-N leader Nawab Jhangez Marri and elder brother of Hyarbyar Marri, the chief of the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army, and Zamuran Marri, the chief of banned United Baloch Army.