A duty judge presiding over as a special court for Control of Narcotics Substance (CNS) on Saturday extended judicial remand of former law minister Rana Sanaullah in a drug case till September 28. When counsel for Rana Sanaullah urged the judge to ask the prosecutor to submit his arguments on the bail petition, the presiding judge Khalid Bashir said, "Being a duty judge, I can only proceed with matter of urgent nature".
"What else can be an urgent matter than bail?" said Tarar in response to the judge's remarks. He pointed out that the defence had already completed its arguments before former presiding judge Masood Arshad who was stopped from working through a Whatsapp message.
Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) prosecutor Rana Kashif told the judge that his senior colleague Dr Salahuddin Mengal had been tasked to lead the prosecution in the case. However, he said, Mengal was in Quetta on medical leave following a minor surgery.
When asked to present a notification of their appointment, Kashif told the judge that they had been entrusted with the case on verbal directions from the ANF. Seeking a short adjournment, Kashif said Mengal had already prepared his arguments.
Advocate Tarar pointed out that the ANF had not provided them the footage of the arrest scene as the state minister for interior had claimed that there was a video.
Present in the court, Rana Sanaullah Khan, however, told the judge that the government had no such video as the whole case against him was fabricated.
Khan said the ANF was now giving another twist to the case by claiming that he acquired all his assets by selling heroin. He alleged that the prosecution had been misleading the nation.
The duty judge, however, extended judicial remand of Rana Sana and adjourned the proceedings till next date of hearing.
Responding to media queries outside the court, Rana said, "There is no question of any deal after enduring hardships and cruelty in jail." "Now we have started to love living in jail. "The peaceful sleep I have been enjoying on the floor of jail, Imran Khan cannot even image even in Prime Minister House," the former law minister said with pride.
He said the whole party was standing behind Nawaz Sharif. He urged party workers and general public to get ready to march to Islamabad on the call of the party's leadership. Rana also accused Prime Minister Khan of selling the movement of Kashmir at the hand of US President Donald Trump and putting the sovereignty of the country at stake. The ANF had arrested Khan from motorway and recovered 15-kg heroin from his vehicle.