Ex-minister gets transit bail in murder case

MANSEHRA: A former provincial minister, Ibrar Hussain, alias Iqbal, who was booked in the murder of a woman dancer, secured a transit bail from a court in Peshawar.

“My client Ibrar Hussain alias Iqbal has got a transit bail and will appear before the court concerned in Mansehra on August 17,” Babar Khan Yusufzai Advocate told reporters here on Monday.

The city police had booked Ibrar Hussain and four others, including a woman, alleging that the former killed the dancer, Kiran, as she had stopped him from groping her during the dance performance at the residence of a former tehsil councillor, Mohammad Jamshed at Thakara here on August 12.

Yusufzai said Ibrar Hussain appeared before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Naveedullah pleading not guilty to the charges/offences for which he was booked under sections 302/201/202/2­03/148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Ibrar Hussain through a social media video alleged that he was booked on trumped-up charges.

“I solemnly declare that I am innocent and didn’t kill the girl,” he said while holding the Holy Quran in his hands. According to the FIR, Iqbal Hussain, the main accused, had allegedly killed the woman dancer and dumped her body in a car parked near her residence in Chiria Dee Takee (Noguazi) area. The police had arrested Mohammad Jamshed and a woman, who had taken Kiran to the dance party.

The co-accused Raheel Tanoli, and Mian Amir were yet to be arrested. The slain dancer belonged to Azad Jammu and Kashmir and lived in a rented house in Mansehra city.