ATC orders Bangash’s release on bail

Former minister is accused of providing shelter to Murad Saeed, opening fire at police

PESHAWAR:

An anti-terrorism court in Peshawar has ordered the release of former provincial minister Kamran Bangash on bail in the case of opening fire at the Chamkani police and providing shelter to former federal minister Murad Saeed.

There were allegations that Bangash had provided shelter to Saeed in Peshawar and opened fire at the police party.

According to the police, during the raid on Oct 20, the accused not only helped former federal minister Saeed, who is wanted by the police, to escape, but also opened fire while fighting with the police, as a result of which two policemen were injured.

Later, Bangash was detained and a case was registered against him under sections 324, 353, 7ATA, 216, 15AA, 148 and 149.

After the arrest, the former minister filed an application for release on bail.

Meanwhile, his lawyers Ali Zaman and Sikandar Hayat Shah apprised the court that the case against their client was baseless because there was no evidence in the CCTV footage that there was an attack on the police.

Similarly, no weapons were recovered from their client. “No evidence or marks of bullet was found anywhere, so he is innocent.”

They said that as the former minister was related to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, he was being targeted for political revenge.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st, 2023.