LAHORE: Former Federal Minister, Liaquat Abbas Bhatti, was aquitted on Saturday of a torture charge, on a bail of Rs 50,000, DawnNews reported.
The District Court of Model Town approved the bail after Shahida, a 14-year-old housemaid withdrew her statement accusing Bhatti of illegally confining and torturing her in his house along with her younger sister and seven-year-old brother.
He was arrested by the police on Friday, after they raided his Johar Town residence and recovered the three children.
The three had allegedly been tortured and chained for months.
Bhatti, at his hearing, declared that he had been wrongly accused. He insisted that the girls’ parents had willingly left the children at his house.
Bhatti’s lawyer told the court that his client was innocent and had been framed by political opponents.
The three siblings were sent to hospital after being recovered, for medical examination.
Earlier, Shahida had said from hospital that she had been confined by Bhatti because of a Rs400,000 loan her father had taken from him.
She also accused Wajid, Bhatti’s driver, of torturing her when she refused to work at a reduced salary.
However, Saddar Division SP (Operations), Jehanzeb said that the police had not recorded any allegation about the loan during the investigation.
Liaquat Bhatti refused to comment before the media after the hearing was adjourned.