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A judicial magistrate on Tuesday sent former provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah Khan and president PML-N Punjab to jail on judicial remand. The magistrate sent Rana Sanaullah along with other suspects Usman Ahmad, Sibtain Haider, Muhammad Akram, Umar Farooq and Amir Rustam to Camp Jail and directed its superintendent to conduct their medical examination. The magistrate sent the suspects jail as the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) did not seek physical remand of Rana Sanaullah.

A legal team led by Azam Nazir Tarar obtained signatures of Rana Sana on a power of attorney to file a bail petition. Scores of PML-N's leaders and workers were already gathered at the District Courts (Zila Katachery) where the ANF presented Rana Sana and other suspects before the magistrate under strict security arrangements.

The anti-riot police were deployed on the court promises and roads leading to the district courts were blocked for routine traffic. During the course of hearing in the jam-packed courtroom, the deputy director (Operations) of the ANF submitted an application before the magistrate requesting to send the suspects to judicial remand saying recovery of 15-kg heroin from the custody of the suspects had been made and their further custody was not required.

Responding to a media query about his arrest in a narcotics case, Rana Sana said it was nothing but an injustice and any government being run on injustice could not survive. Referring to Prime Minster Imran Khan, Rana said those who had been claiming to establish 'Riasat-i-Madina' (state of Madina) should be ashamed of what was being done with political rivals.

The ANF had arrested Rana Sana the other day on his way to Lahore from his native city Faisalabad near Ravi Toll Plaza on Motorway and also recovered 15-kg heroin from his vehicle. A special team of the force, which acted on a tip-off, had also arrested five others including driver and security guards.

The ANF registered FIR under section 9 (C) of Control of Narcotic Substances Act 1997, which carries death penalty or life imprisonment or a jail-term that may extend to 14 years along with a fine up to rupees one million. Some other provisions of the Act and the PPC were also added in the FIR to charge the suspects for attacking the personnel of the ANF and obstructing them from performing their official duty.

The content of the FIR explained that when asked about the narcotics, Rana Sanaullah admitted the possession of heroin, pointed toward a blue-color suitcase concealed behind his seat. It said Rana himself unzipped the suitcase, removed a plastic cover in it and pointed toward a plastic bag filled with heroin. Meanwhile, it said, the security guards of the former law minister attacked the ANF team and tried to get him release. However, the personnel overpowered the suspects and shifted to Cantonment office of ANF.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019


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