Islamabad: The Federal Constitutional Court has directed the accused in the shop victims case to settle matters with the victims before the next hearing and granted interim bail to the accused, Yousaf Ahad Malik.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Aamir Farooq and comprising Justice Arshad Hussain Shah heard the case.

During the hearing, Justice Arshad Hussain Shah remarked that it would be better if the accused resolves the matter with the victims through mutual understanding.

The counsel for the accused informed the court that his client was ready to pay money to the victims, but the victims were demanding shops instead. He further stated that 600 allottees were satisfied, while only 84 individuals had complaints.

Justice Arshad Hussain Shah observed that the victims had also invested their money in good faith and suggested that the issue should be resolved through dialogue.

The defence counsel requested time to hold negotiations with the victims and also sought interim bail for his client until the next hearing, stating that police had conducted raids for his arrest three times.

The court issued notices to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Prosecutor of Punjab and adjourned the hearing until March 30.