LAHORE  -  An anti-corruption court on Thursday granted bail to Muhammad Khan Bhatti, the former principal secretary to the chief minister Punjab, in a new case related to illegal appointments in the Punjab Assembly. The court directed the accused to furnish surety bonds worth Rs. 500,000 to avail the relief of bail. Anti-Corruption Court Judge Muhammad Faisal Ahmad conducted proceedings on the post-arrest bail application filed by Muhammad Khan Bhatti and announced the decision upon completion of arguments from both sides. The prosecution opposed the bail petition, stating that the accused and his associates had illegally appointed favored candidates by bypassing merit. These appointments involved individuals who failed to meet the required criteria, it added. However, Advocate Munir Hussain Bhatti, representing Muhammad Khan Bhatti, argued that the recruitment process in the Punjab Assembly—from Grade 1 to Grade 17—was conducted simultaneously and, therefore, only one FIR should have been registered instead of multiple cases. He further submitted that the trial for recruitments in Grade 17 was already underway and maintained that the same recruitment process was being targeted through multiple cases. He pleaded with the court to grant bail to his client. The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab had registered the case against Muhammad Khan Bhatti and others for hiring more than 200 individuals, including IT technicians, drivers, and other staff, in violation of merit.