The judicial remand of former law minister Rana Sanaullah Khan has been extended till September 14 in the drug case. The presiding judge of the special court for Control of Narcotics Substance (CNS) was not available but the court's reader simply marked attendance of the suspect and fixed September 14 as the next date of hearing. The Lahore High Court on September 06 had repatriated District & Sessions Judge Masood Arshad, the presiding judge of the CNS. The high court is yet to nominate new presiding judge.

During the last hearing held on August 28, the judge was barred from hearing the case through a Whatsapp message. On his way back to jail, Rana Sana briefly talked to media and said the government had nothing to do except putting its rivals behind the bars. He said a government based on cruelty and injustice could not survive long.

Referring to the transfer of the judge hearing his case, the PML-N leader regretted that the government had been trying to control the courts with Whatsapp. He claimed that 'non-cooperative' judges were being spied on by the government. Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) had arrested Rana Sanaullah Khan from motorway and recovered 15-kg heroin from his vehicle. The other suspects include Usman Ahmad, Sibtain Haider, Muhammad Akram, Umar Farooq and Amir Rustam.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019