Lahore, Dec 6: An Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) has granted interim bail to former Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in connection with the Sabzazar case.

Shahbaz Sharif appeared before the court and prayed that it grant him bail till January 8, as he needed some time for his election campaign for the party, otherwise he was ready to court arrest voluntarily.

"I pray the court to grant bail to me till January 8 so that I could run the election campaign for the party," he said.

"I had already tried to court arrest earlier, but I was not arrested," Shahbaz added.

Earlier, the court had issued arrest orders for Shahbaz in a case of a police encounter that occurred on April 27, 1998 in the Sabzazar area.

Shahbaz was directly accused in the alleged police encounter in which five young men Salahuddin, Ashraf, Wakeel, Farooq and Rauf were killed.

The father of Salahuddin, Saeeduddin took the matter to the court, The News reported.

In accordance with the directives of court, a case had been registered on January 2001.

The case is still under trial in the ATC. The court had summoned Shahbaz Sharif several times, but he could not appear in the court because of his exile. (ANI)