LAHORE, March 16: Punjab Chief Minister’s Adviser on Human Rights Rana Ejaz Ahmad Khan on Sunday termed the torture of PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah a ‘drama’ which, he said, was staged just to defame the government.

This was not a case of basic human rights violation, the adviser said while replying to a question at a Press conference here at the Civil Secretariat.

He said: “There is no need to torture Rana Sanaullah because neither he is an important politician nor a threat to the government.”

“He was not beaten up by agencies as those who are given such treatment do not make it public and stay home quietly,” he said.

Rana Ejaz said prima facie Rana Sanaullah was not tortured. He himself shaved off his eye brows and moustache to malign the government, the adviser alleged.

He said the Musharraf government had not tortured anyone showing dissent during its three-year tenure. Unlike the past democratic governments, there was no political murder and the press was allowed to freely criticize government policies. Gen Musharraf’s military regime is more democratic than any of the past democratic governments, he said.

Rana Ejaz said in case Rana Sanaullah had been tortured by an agency, it was a federal subject and the province could not initiate any action in this regard.