Court again orders ACE to arrest Rana Sana

RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi court on Monday issued orders to Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) to arrest and produce Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah before the court in a graft case. However, the court rejected the plea of Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) for declaring the minister as proclaimed offender.

Special Judicial Magistrate Rawalpindi Ghulam Akbar had also issued non-bailable arrest warrant of the interior minister last week.

Following the issuance of warrant by the court, a team of Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) approached to Islamabad Police in a bid to comply the court’s order. However, the team returned empty handed and told the court about non-cooperation of Islamabad police.

A statement issued by the ACE said the Islamabad Police refused to cooperate for the arrest of the interior minister. It said the police misbehaved with them as they arrived at the federal capital’s Secretariat Police Station to arrest the minister.

“The police did not even record the arrival and departure of the anti-corruption team. Our vehicles were also forced out of the police station,” read the ACE statement. In contrast, the capital police, in a statement, said the formal arrest warrant was received at the police station but the ACE Punjab refused to furnish the record. The arrival and departure time of the team was also registered.

The ACE was directed to take the legal course as per the standard procedure. However, the ACE did not adopt any clear stance. According to ACE, the owner of Bismillah Housing Scheme, located in Kallar Kahar area, had gifted two plots measuring 10 Kanals to Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah - then law minister Punjab - in a bid to gain undue favour from him. The plots were transferred by the housing society to him on a throwaway price.

In the latest development, the interior minister decided to approach the court against the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab for “forging” the records of a four-year-old case. In a statement, the Interior Ministry’s spokesperson said ACE — by becoming an instrument of PTI Chairman Imran Khan — deliberately concealed facts of a four-year-old case to obtain a warrant against Sanaullah by deceiving and misleading the court.

Terming it as against the law, the spokesperson said ACE Punjab is not providing the records of the case to Islamabad Police along with the warrant. He added the ministry has decided to take action against officials responsible for falsifying the records and misleading the court.

“All the prima facie evidence of forgery and fraud has been obtained related to the case,” said the spokesperson, adding, “The federal interior minister respects the court in every way and abides by its orders.” In the latest development, the interior minister decided to approach the court against the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab for “forging” the records of a four-year-old case.

In a statement, the Interior Ministry’s spokesperson said ACE — by becoming an instrument of PTI Chairman Imran Khan — deliberately concealed facts of a four-year-old case to obtain a warrant against Sanaullah by deceiving and misleading the court.

Terming it as against the law, the spokesperson said ACE Punjab is not providing the records of the case to Islamabad Police along with the warrant. He added the ministry has decided to take action against officials responsible for falsifying the records and misleading the court.

“All the prima facie evidence of forgery and fraud has been obtained related to the case,” said the spokesperson, adding, “The federal interior minister respects the court in every way and abides by its orders.”