Lahore court acquits interior minister in drug smuggling case

LAHORE: A special court for Control of Narcotics Substances in Lahore on Thursday acquitted Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah in a drugs trafficking case, Geo News reported. 

The interior minister was under trial for allegedly trafficking 15kg of heroin. He, however, had rubbished the accusations against him and blamed the PTI government for having a political vendetta against him.

A petition was filed seeking Sanaullah's acquittal in the case earlier in the day.

Advocate Farhad Shah, during the hearing, said that Assistant Director Imtiaz Ahmed and inspector Ahsan Azam are denying the allegations.

The petition stated that the case has been filed on political grounds, hence, the PML-N leader should be acquitted. 

Today's hearing

During the hearing, prosecutor Danish Mashkoor said that he had just resigned 15 minutes ago.

"I am no more a prosecutor in this case. I can't even sign the statements of the witnesses," he said.

At this, Sanaullah's counsel Advocate Farhad Shah said that Mashkoor's resignation wasn't yet accepted.

However, the remaining prosecutors of the case signed the witnesses' statements.

Witness statements

Inspector Ehsan Azam said that neither was any recovery made in front of him and nor was he aware of the incidents involved in the case. "I haven't witnessed the [drugs] recovery with my eyes," he stated, adding that he had been made a witness in the case but doesn't know the facts.

Inspector Azam also said that he doesn't support the prosecution in any way.

The second witness, Assistant Director Imtiaz Ahmed said no recovery was made in front of him either and that he isn't aware of the case.

"I had been made witness in the case but I don't support the prosecution in any way," Ahmed's statement read.

Later, the court announced its verdict in the case acquitting Sanaullah and all the co-accused, including Sibtain, Usman, Amir, Akran and Umar.

Giving his arguments, Advocate Shah said that both witnesses are witness to the recovery memo, and both have retracted their statements.

Later, the court announced its verdict in the case acquitting Sanaullah and all the co-accused, including Sibtain, Usman, Amir, Akran and Umar.

'Govt's cases being closed after litigation'

While talking to media outside the court this morning, Sanaullah had said that the government's cases were being closed after "litigation". 

"Why shouldn't the cases against the members of the coalition government be closed since they are being closed after litigation?" he asked.

Rana Sanaullah case

The case against Sanaullah was filed during the PTI government in which the Anti-narcotics Force (ANF) arrested him on July 01, 2019. He was sent on judicial remand the next day.

The ANF had arrested Sanaullah from near the Sukheke area in Punjab after the registration of the drugs smuggling case against him. ANF officials had told Geo News he was arrested while travelling with his guards to a meeting from Faisalabad to Lahore.

The ANF claimed that it had received a tip-off that the vehicle of the PML-N leader was carrying a heavy quantity of drugs, after which, a raid was conducted. The FIR further stated that when the ANF officials intercepted his vehicle, he and his guards engaged in a scuffle with them.

However, the ANF also claimed that when asked about the presence of drugs in the vehicle, Sanaullah himself pointed towards a blue suitcase placed behind a seat. The ANF claimed in the FIR that he had admitted to the presence of heroin in the suitcase. The drug enforcement agency seized 15 kilogrammes of heroin and weapons from the possession of the accused, the FIR read.

The minister remained behind bars for six months until the Lahore High Court (LHC) granted him bail on December 24, 2019.