GUJRANWALA: A judicial magistrate acquitted Prime Minister Special Adviser Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday of an attempt to run over his vehicle on police officers case.

Judicial Magistrate Sidra Gul Nawaz stated in the decision that the public prosecutor failed to present any substantial evidence against Mr Sanaullah that could warrant legal proceedings.

Despite his absence from the hearing, the magistrate acquitted Sanaullah based on precedents set by higher courts.

Earlier, Additional Sessions Judge Sohail Anjum had nullified Mr Judicial Magistrate Sidra Gul Nawaz’s orders, which had summoned Mr Sanaullah, issued non-bailable arrest warrants and rejected the police’s case closure report.

After hearing arguments from Mr Sanaullah’s lawyer Abdul Majid Chaudhry, the judge returned the case record to the judicial magistrate with instructions to make a decision in accordance with the law.

The case was registered at Satellite Town Police Station on Oct 20, 2020, on an FIR lodged by Sub-Inspector Muhammad Asghar.

According to the FIR, police officials, including the complainant, were stationed at Dastgir Chowk for duty during a Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) rally at Jinnah Stadium. During this time, two high-speed vehicles approached from Dastgir Road.

One of the vehicles carried Sanaullah, Khurram Dastgir Khan, Imran Khalid Butt and his brother Salman Khalid Butt. The FIR alleged that they resisted the police, engaged in an altercation, forcefully removed containers placed on the road, and drove towards Jinnah Stadium, where they illegally parked their vehicle.

Meanwhile, four unidentified individuals in the second vehicle allegedly attempted to run over police officials with the intent to kill them. However, the officers managed to escape unharmed.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2025