Footage not a requirement in Sanaullah case: ANF

Islamabad: Anti-Narcotics Force’s (ANF) Special Prosecutor Raja Inam – following bail granted to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah in a narcotics case yesterday – asserted on Wednesday that provision of “footage” was not the requirement in the legal proceedings in the case and all evidence was submitted to the court.

He further mentioned that all statements relevant to the recovery of the heroin from the vehicle of Sanaullah were also submitted in the court.

“Statements of three witnesses were also submitted in the court […] we had filed an application for hearing the case on daily basis,” he added.

The ANF’s legal team pointed out that there were 15 witnesses in the challan submitted to the court together with the chemical examiner’s report.

Earlier, the LHC granted bail to former Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah in a narcotics case lodged after Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) recovered 15kg heroin from his vehicle. The court also ordered Sanaullah to submit two surety bonds of Rs1 million each.

On Monday, Justice Chaudhry Mushtaq Ahmed heard the arguments on a post-arrest bail petition filed by advocate Zahid Hussain Bukhari, Ahsan Bhawan and Azam Nazir Tarrar on Sanaullah’s behalf, and Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Prosecutor Muhammad Irfan Malik and reserved the judgment.

Earlier, in his bail plea, Sanaullah stated that he was arrested in a false case of drugs smuggling as he used to criticise the government. He argued that he was booked for smuggling of 21 kilograms of heroin, according to an FIR lodged against him, whereas later the actual weight of the captured narcotics was declared 15 kilograms.

On Oct. 2, the PML-N leader had filed a bail petition in the LHC. The petition was, however, withdrawn the next day, to file the same at a later stage. Earlier this month, Sanullah once again approached the LHC for post-arrest bail.

A special court for Control of Narcotics Substance (CNS) had on September 20 also dismissed a bail petition by Sanaullah while releasing five co-suspects. On November 9, a CNS dismissed another bail petition of Sanaullah’s.

On Dec. 21, Anti-Narcotics Court Judge Shakir Hussain extended the judicial remand of PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah till Jan. 4 in the same case.

The court also issued notices to the investigation officer seeking a response on the application of Rana Sanaullah for provision of a video of the ministers.

On July 1, Sanaullah was arrested by the ANF after the discovery of a large stash of contraband in his vehicle from near the Sukheke area in Punjab. The next day, he was sent to jail on judicial remand by a local magistrate.

Sanaullah, who is also a member of the National Assembly (MNA) and president of the PML-N’s Punjab wing, was arrested while travelling with his guards to a meeting from Faisalabad to Lahore.

The first information report (FIR) was lodged 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 Rs1 million.