LAHORE: About three months after regaining the Punjab law minister’s portfolio, Rana Sanaullah is embroiled in another controversy. And this time around, a senior leader from his own party has accused him of ‘killing 20 people’.

The allegation came from Chaudhry Sher Ali, the father of Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali, who is said to be heading the PML-N group in Faisalabad which is against Rana Sanaullah and a few others.

Chaudhry Sher Ali said the other day Rana Sanaullah was involved in the murder of 20 people.

“I have on me SMS of former district police officer Sohail Tajik confirming the involvement of Rana Sanaullah in the killing of 20 people. I had brought the matter to the notice of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who asked Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to take action against Sanaullah. But no action has been taken against him so far,” Mr Ali said.

The former PML-N MNA demanded strict action against the ‘killer of 20 people’ and also sought an ‘operation’ in Faisalabad so that the ‘killers’ could be apprehended.

Reacting to the allegation, Rana Sanaullah, who is considered a close aide to the chief minister, said there was a ‘motive’ behind these allegations. “Sher Ali wants his son to be appointed as mayor of Faisalabad. If I support him, he will start praising me,” he said, adding he would not take up the matter legally. “I would rather take up it with the party leadership,” he said.

The Pakistan Awami Tehreek endorsed Mr Ali’s allegations and urged the prime minister and the Lahore High Court chief justice to look into the matter.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2015

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