Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Saturday approached the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking acquittal in a narcotics case filed against him during the PTI government’s tenure.
In July 2019, Sanaullah was arrested by the Anti-Narcotics Force’s (ANF) Lahore team while he was travelling from Faisalabad to Lahore near the Ravi Toll Plaza on the motorway.
The ANF claimed to have seized 15 kilogrammes of heroin from his vehicle. A special team of the force had also arrested five others, including the driver and security guards of the PML-N leader.
He was twice denied bail by the trial court, however, the Lahore High Court ordered his release on Dec 24, 2019.
According to the first information report registered by the ANF, it said the force had received information that Sanaullah was allegedly involved in drugs trafficking and was taking heroin to Lahore.
In his plea filed today, Sanaullah argued that the case against him was “concocted, devised and fabricated”.
“The prosecution remained unable to bring an iota of evidence against the petitioners/accused and the entire judicial file is also silent about any incriminating piece of evidence against the petitioner,” reads the petition, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com.
He further contended in his petition that the case was the consequence of “political victimisation,” as he also referred to a statement of PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, saying “the ex-minister had categorically stated that this case was not lodged on the asking of lmran Khan’s government and it was lodged by some influential personalities of the country”.
The minister urged the court to acquit him of the charge “in the interest of justice, equity and fair play”.
Speaking to media outside the court, Sanaullah said it was the right of his party to get all false cases quashed.
“The cases against our leadership lodged abroad are even being dismissed,” he said in response to a query.
The minister called out PTI chief Imran Khan, claiming he wanted political instability in the country for his own mileage.
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