How ANF arrested Rana Sanaullah

ISLAMABAD: Punjab former law minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Rana Sanaullah has been arrested in an alleged drugs-related case, but the details of his arrest are still hazy.

The sources revealed to this scribe the events that led to the arrest of the PML-N leader by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), Lahore. The sources privy to the developments revealed that Brigadier Hameed Dogar, the Lahore ANF Commander, was looking after the Special Investigation Cell's operations, which led to Rana Sanaullah's arrest from near Sukheke on Monday.

The SIC comprises different intelligence agencies operators working with the cooperation of the International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement (INCLE) body in Pakistan.

The sources said some six to seven alleged front men, including a suspect named Bukhari, earlier arrested by the SIC provided solid information to the ANF team allegedly linking Rana Sanaullah to a narcotics scam. The sources said the alleged front men in ANF custody told investigators that they were allegedly raising funds through narcotics businesses for Rana Sanaullah, and that the funds were later being funneled to proscribed organisations. These claims and allegations could not be verified from independent sources till filing of this story. The suspects, whose information led to Sanaullah's arrest, were arrested three months back.

The sources said the ANF had gathered data of calls showing Rana Sanaullah's connections with the alleged front men. This was one of the reasons Rana Sana was arrested today, a sources privy to the inside developments told this scribe.

The family sources of Rana Sanaullah have rebutted the allegations and claims by the ANF, terming them "a deliberate move to malign the vocal politician". ANF, sources further disclosed, was investigating seven more MPs from KP and Balochistan who were allegedly involved in narcotics business. "The investigation is in final stage against them," revealed officials of ANF associated with the investigation in Peshawar, Quetta and Rawalpindi. One may see more arrests pertaining to these investigations because the accused were involved in generating funds and later feeding to proscribed organisations, added one of the officials whom Geo News spoke to, on condition of anonymity.

The team of the "ANF on order of federal government formed a baseless case against Rana Sanaullah," a family member of the politician told Geo News. “We would plead our case in the court,” he added.

PML-N Spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzaib was also not aware of the reasons led to Rana Sana's arrest. "We have yet to know the reasons involving Rana Sana in this fake case of ANF," she said.