Politics

Rana Sanaullah acquitted in drugs case

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

PML-N leader given clean chit in drugs smuggling case.
Prosecutor resigns 15 mins before court was to take up acquittal plea.
PML-N takes a jibe at PTI after acquittal.

LAHORE: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Saturday has been acquitted by a special court in Lahore in a drugs smuggling case filed against him in 2019.

Sanaullah was arrested on July 01, 2019, by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Lahore team near Ravi Toll Plaza on the motorway. He was travelling from Faisalabad to Lahore.

The ANF claimed to have recovered 15kg of heroin from his vehicle, while it arrested five others, including Sanaullah’s driver and security guards.

He was sent on judicial remand the next day by the court.

Sanaullah remained incarcerated for six months until the Lahore High Court (LHC) granted him bail on December 24, 2019.

The then PTI government drew heavy fire from the opposition and was alleged of carrying out a political witch-hunt against rivals. The Imran Khan-led regime, however, denied having a hand in Sanaullah’s arrest.

The PML-N leader had filed a plea in the court seeking acquittal today and sought an early hearing. The court then fixed the hearing for 2pm.

'جان اللہ کو دینی ہے'

کاش تم لوگ دل سے بھی یہی سمجھتے pic.twitter.com/M0Byk5znUe
— PML(N) (@pmln_org) December 10, 2022

At the outset of the hearing, Prosecutor Danish Mashkoor informed the court that he has resigned and was no more associated with the case. “I can not sign off witnesses’ statement.”

After this, the remaining two prosecutors signed the document.

Rana Sanaullah’s counsel, Advocate Farhad Shah, argued before the court that two witnesses in the case have retracted their statements. “They were witnesses of the recovery memo,” the defence informed the court and added, “The prosecution has no case to prove”.

The court then announced the verdict acquitting Rana Sanaullah and other co-accused Sibtain, Usman, Amir, and Akram from the drugs smuggling case.

Witnesses retract statements

Inspector Ehsan Azam, a witness in the case, said: “he has no knowledge of the events nor was the recovery made in his presence”.

“I did not witness recovery. I was made a witness but I don’t know the facts neither I support the prosecution’s case in any way.”

Another witness, Assistant Director Imtiaz Ahmed, told the court that he was not aware of Rana Sanaullah’s case and drugs were not recovered in his presence.

“I was made a witness in the case; I do not support the prosecution’s case. I did not see any recovery of drugs.”

Latest News

The PML-N Punjab chapter convenes today to discuss organizational issues.

Published

14 hours ago

Farwa

Former prime minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif, has called a meeting of the PML-N Punjab chapter for today (Friday).

The conference was called by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, who reportedly gave the president of the party’s Punjab chapter, Rana Sanaullah, a call to call a meeting of the party’s provincial officials.

Nawaz Sharif is now visiting China.

According to sources, Nawaz Sharif’s leadership role and organizational issues inside the PML-N Punjab would be discussed at the meeting. The meeting’s agenda may also include discussions about the possible growth of the federal and Punjabi cabinets.

According to other sources, Nawaz Sharif gave Rana Sanaullah instructions to gather information on political and organizational positions in Punjab as well as to revitalize the party at the local level.

Latest News

Saad Rafiq: Ali Amin Gandapur’s threat to storm Islamabad is a major issue.

Published

14 hours ago

Farwa

Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has threatened to storm Islamabad, according to Khawaja Saad Rafique, a former minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). This is a very serious situation.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration has reportedly launched attacks on the federal capital in the past in an attempt to seize Islamabad, according to Saad Rafiq on the social media platform X (previously Twitter).

“However, PTI got nothing and it resulted in creating chaos, hatred and economic destruction,” he continued.

He added, “If the anarchists attack Islamabad to occupy it this time too, it will become impossible for them to return as rulers.”

According to the leader of the PML-N, fascist behavior will no longer be accepted, and the dirty politics of violence, fire, and ransacking will no longer be effective.

The PTI, he said, has to act rationally and refrain from inciting another May 9.

Latest News

PTI founder’s temporary bail in the attack on Jinnah House case is increased

Published

15 hours ago

Farwa

Information connected to the attack on Jinnah House and three other cases were heard by ATC duty judge Arshad Javed.

A video link from Adiala jail will be used by the court to commemorate the presence of former prime minister Imran Khan in all three cases.

Notably, the Punjab government has assigned Imran Khan, the founder of the PTI, seven cells in Adiala Jail, and fourteen security guards have been assigned to guard him. This information was previously communicated to the LHC.

According to AGP Punjab Khalid Ishaq, “six additional cells have been provided for Imran Khan in order to ensure appropriate security for him.”

According to the article, “14 police officers have been assigned to guard Imran Khan at Adiala Jail, whereas one officer is assigned to care for ten prisoners.

happenings on May 9
With the arrest of Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, and the former prime minister at the Islamabad High Court (IHC), violent protests erupted around the country.

With Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad calling in the armed forces to maintain peace and order, the party workers, incensed over their chairman’s imprisonment, staged rallies in both big cities and remote areas.

A demonstration by “PTI workers” resulted in attacks on Army posts including Jinnah House, the home of the Corps Commander in Lahore.