LAHORE: A magistrate on Tuesday extended judicial remand of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA and former provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah in a narcotics case till July 29. The court also directed that the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) should submit the charge-sheet of the case.
Besides Sanaullah, other suspects — including Usman Ahmad, Sibtain Haider, Muhammad Akram, Umar Farooq and Amir Rustam — were also produced before judicial magistrate Ahmad Waqas on expiry of their judicial remand.
The ANF prosecutor requested the court for extending the judicial remand of all the accused. However, Sanaullah’s counsel argued that the court had ordered for filing the charge-sheet within 14 days on the last hearing but no charge-sheet had been filed as yet.
The defence counsel submitted that the ANF officials had also not released personal items, medicines and medical reports of his client, saying the case record had also not been submitted by the ANF.
Sanaullah apprised the court that his stance was not recorded officially yet, adding he was also not provided with all details of the case. At this, the court adjourned the hearing for a short time and sought case record from the ANF officials.
Later, the court resumed the hearing after a two-hour break, wherein the ANF officials stated that a special team was conducting investigation into the matter and all record was available with it.
To this, Sanaullah’s counsel requested the court to direct the ANF officials for filing the charge-sheet within three days. At this, the court remarked if the ANF officials did not submit the charge-sheet under Section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code then they could approach the court. Subsequently, the court extended Sanaullah’s judicial remand till July 29 and adjourned the hearing till the date.
Strict security arrangements were made on the occasion. A heavy contingent of police was positioned inside and outside the court in addition to the personnel of anti-riot force.
A number of PML-N workers had also gathered outside the court to express solidarity with their leader.
Sanaullah was arrested on July 1 by the ANF officials from the Islamabad-Lahore motorway near Sukheki, while he was travelling from Faisalabad to Lahore. The ANF booked him under the Control of Narcotic Substances Act.