LHC denies NAB long adjournment in Sana case

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Wednesday denied a long adjournment to the NAB in interim pre-arrest bail of former law minister Rana Sanaullah in an inquiry of alleged assets beyond means and directed a special prosecutor to come up with arguments today.

As a two-judge bench resumed hearing on the bail petition, Special Prosecutor SM Rasul Chattha said Faisal Raza Bokhari, who prepared the arguments on behalf of the NAB, was not available due to health reasons. Chattha requested the bench to adjourn hearing for a week so the respective prosecutor could advance the arguments. He said the files of the case also lied with Bokhari. Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, the head of the bench, turned down the request and directed the prosecutor to go through the case and come up with arguments today (Thursday).

Rana Sanaullah was present in the court along with his counsel. In his petition, he contended that the inquiry initiated by the NAB was in reaction to post-arrest bail granted to him in a ‘fabricated’ drug case. He said he always appeared before the Bureau whenever he was summoned. He said the investigators had been provided complete details of his assets, which were already frozen by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) in the drug case. He said the NAB was not competent to assume the jurisdiction in view of the pendency of the proceedings in the drug case before a special court.