‘Drug recovery by ANF’ Terming case ‘shaky’, court acquits Rana, others

LAHORE: A special court Saturday acquitted Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan and others in a drug recovery case made by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) in 2019.

The court observed that the case was doughty and shaky in nature.

The court said the negative statements of the recovery witnesses technically knocked out the case and the chain of safe custody and recovery of narcotics from the suspects as alleged by the prosecution could not be proved.

The court observed that technically the case had reached its fate hence further proceedings of this case and recording of formal witnesses will not serve any useful purpose.

“Hence, this court left with no option but to allow the applications of the accused persons and all the accused persons of this case are acquitted from the allegation,” the court said in the verdict. Earlier, the petitioners’ counsel argued that the case was a result of political victimization. He said the prosecution remained unable to bring any evidence against the petitioners.

He pointed out that the recovery witnesses made public statements that they were just named as witnesses in the false case and they had no knowledge about the facts of the case.

He argued that the CCTV footage from the cameras of the Punjab Safe City Authority negated the prosecution version. ANF special prosecutor did not oppose the contention of the defence and said he could produce the recovery witnesses.

ANF special prosecutor Ehtishamul Haq did not oppose the contention of the defence and said he could produce the recovery witnesses including Assistant Director Imtiaz Cheema and Inspector Ehsan Azam.

Both witnesses appeared before the court after an interval of 30 minutes and submitted their affidavits negating the story of the prosecution.

The petitioners’ counsel said that the witnesses rejected the prosecution story rather expressed their ignorance about the alleged recovery of the narcotics planted on the suspects.

He said the evidence of remaining witnesses would be a futile exercise and wastage of the court’s time.

An ANF team had arrested Rana Sana on July 1, 2019 on his way to Lahore from his native city Faisalabad near Ravi Toll Plaza on Motorway. The team claimed to have recovered 15-kg heroin from his vehicle.

The court after hearing the arguments in detail allowed the petitions and acquitted the accused persons.

The FIR was lodged under section 9 (C) of Control of Narcotic Substances Act 1997.

He was denied bail twice by the trial court and finally the Lahore High Court released him on bail on Dec 24, 2019. Other suspects include Sibtain Haider, Amir Rustam, Umar Farooq, Usman Ahmad and Muhammad Akram.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022