Daily Times

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday granted bail to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah in the narcotics case, a private TV channel reported.

Rana Sanaullah has been granted bail against two surety bonds worth Rs 1 million each. A day earlier, the high court had reserved its verdict on a post-arrest bail petition filed by Rana Sanaullah in the 15kg heroin recovery case. Justice Chaudhry Mushtaq Ahmad reserved the verdict on Monday after Sanaullah’s lawyers and prosecutors of the ANF concluded their arguments. Earlier, on November 10, a special court for the Control of Narcotics Substances had dismissed Sanaullah’s bail petition. The petition had pleaded that the case against Sanaullah was ‘politically motivated and based on mala fide intentions’. It had argued that the alleged recovery of narcotics from Rana Sanaullah had merely been an ‘eyewash’. The petition had said that the prosecution had failed to present any independent witnesses of the alleged recovery from the PML-N leader. It had said that the video evidence presented before the trial court had been contradictory to the incidents narrated in the first information report (FIR).

Failing that petition, Rana Sanaullah had again approached the LHC on November 20, seeking his release on bail.

Speaking to a private TV channel, PML-N’s Talal Chaudhry lashed out at the government. “This is a fake government that has made fake cases against the opposition,” he claimed. “The relief being afforded to our leaders these days is because the cases [registered against them] are fake,” he said. “If today someone is [set] free, tomorrow someone else will be arrested,” he said, adding that the incumbent government is surviving on fake arrests and ‘running on fake cases’.

Chaudhry said there are now question marks over the ANF now. “The government is using these institutions for political ends,” he alleged. Commenting on the bail granted to Rana Sanaullah, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan told a press conference that the ANF will present evidence against the former provincial minister once the trial of the case begins. She suggested that the ‘influential’ accused in the case had used ‘resources’ which led to judges recusing themselves from hearing the case.

Once a judge was appointed, Rana Sanaullah’s lawyers ‘created obstacles’ in the commencement of the trial by using different excuses, she alleged. “The trial of the case has not yet started. ANF will present evidence once the trial begins,” she said. Dr Firdous said the LHC has set a ‘unique precedent’ by granting Rana Sanaullah bail, but added that the relevant minister will comment on the decision. “What the court judgements are saying is being heard by you and seen by us,” she said without elaborating.