LAHORE: A judicial magistrate on Tuesday sent PML-N MNA and former provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah to jail on judicial remand as the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) did not seek his physical remand in a narcotics case.

The ANF arrested him on Monday near Ravi Toll Plaza on Motorway and also recovered 15 kilo heroin from his vehicle. A special team of the force, which acted on a tip-off, had also arrested five others, including the driver and security guards of Mr Sanaullah.

The ANF registered a first information case under section 9 (C) of the 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. The section states if the quantity of the narcotic exceeds 10kg the punishment shall not be less than life imprisonment. Some other provisions of the Act and the Pakistan Penal Code were also added to 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, Mr Khan admitted the possession of heroin, pointed toward a blue-color suitcase concealed behind his seat. It said Mr Khan 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 them to Cantonment office of the ANF.

Scores of PML-N’s leaders and workers already gathered at the District Courts (Zila Kutchery) where the ANF presented Mr Khan and other suspects before the magistrate under strict security arrangements.

The courtroom of judicial magistrate Ahmad Waqas was also searched through sniffer dogs while anti-riot police was deployed on the court promises. Roads leading to the district courts were also blocked for routine traffic.

During a brief hearing in the jam-packed courtroom, a deputy director (Operations) of the ANF submitted an application before the magistrate requesting to send the suspects to judicial remand, saying that the recovery of 15-kg heroin from the custody of the suspects had been made and their further custody was not required.

The magistrate allowed the application, sent the suspects to Camp Jail and directed its superintendent to also conduct their medical examination. The other suspects include Usman Ahmad, Sibtain Haider, Muhammad Akram, Umar Farooq and Amir Rustam.

A legal team, led by advocate Azam Nazir Tarar, was present in the court to represent Mr Khan and it obtained his signatures on a power of attorney to file a bail petition.

Responding to a media query about his arrest in a narcotics case, Mr Sanaullah said it was nothing but a great injustice and any government being run on injustice could not survive.

Referring to Prime Minster Imran Khan, he said those who had been claiming to establish ‘Riasat-i-Madina’ should be ashamed of what was being done with political rivals.

MEETING: The ANF allowed Mr Sanaullah Khan to meet his wife in its office late night on Monday.

After the meeting, Nabeela Sana told media that her husband was being subjected to mental torture to make a confession. However, she said her husband was in full spirit. She said seven police personnel were also present in the meeting room.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2019