MANSEHRA: A local court on Sunday remanded former provincial minister Ibrar Hussain alias Iqbal and four others to the police for two days in the murder case of a woman.

“We had sought a 10-day physical remand of all the five men, but the magistrate-on-duty granted them a two-day custody,” Arshad Khan, the investigation officer of the murder case of Kiran, told reporters outside the courts.

The woman was killed during a dance party on August 12.

The police had presented the five men, who also included Raheel Tanoli, Mian Amir, Gulfaraz and Mohammad Sajid, before magistrate Sajid Amin amid tight security.

Additional district and sessions judge Wajid Ali Khan had on Saturday cancelled pre-arrest bails of the five accused and ordered their arrest.

A woman accused in the case was granted bail, whereas the bail petition of another accused, Mohammad Jamshad, who allegedly arranged the dance party on the former lawmaker’s demand at his residence, was also rejected.

The city police had booked Mr Hussain and six others, including a woman, claiming the former minister had killed the deceased as she stopped him from groping her during the dance performance held in Thakara area.

The family of slain woman, belonging to Azad Jammu Kashmir, denies she was a dancer.

Peshawar High Court’s Abbottabad Circuit Bench had rejected petition of the accused seeking exclusion of the section 311 of PPC incorporated in the FIR by the police in light of their criminal record.

NOTICES SERVED: The Balakot Tehsil Municipal Administration has served notices to over 100 people for building houses and commercial centres within the 200-foot area of the Kunhar River.

“We have served notices to such people, who built or are still building houses and shops along Kunhar River,” tehsil municipal officer Sardar Saqib told reporters on Sunday.

He said the high court had banned constructions along rivers and streams, and in pursuance of the order, his department served notices to such owners, asking them to demolish properties, or face legal action.

He said the provincial government has also banned fresh constructions alongside rivers and streams in the wake of devastating flash floods. He said an operation would be started from Bararkot to the Babusar Top.

Meanwhile, the district administration has demolished a National Highway Authority’s toll plaza in Hasamabad area of Balakot.

A TMA team led by assistant commissioner Basharat Bibi grounded the plaza with shovel machines.

Ms Bibi didn’t respond to calls to know about the reason for the development.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2022