Minister for Narcotics Control Shehryar Khan Afridi on Saturday said that lives of witnesses in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah drug case are in danger and, therefore, the trial should be shifted to Rawalpindi for protection of Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) witnesses.

Addressing a press conference, Afridi requested the Chief Justice Lahore High Court (LHC) to shift trial of the PML-N leader drug case to Rawalpindi. "The case of Sanauallah should be shifted to Rawalpindi and its trial should be conducted on daily basis in jail," he said.

He called Sanaullah a drug lord and claimed there was sufficient evidence against the PML-N leader. He asked inspector general of police (IGP) Punjab to take immediate steps for provision of security to witnesses. He also demanded to conduct trial of Sanaullah case on daily basis. He said whenever ANF arrested any political drug dealer, media trial against force was started. He questioned if the PML-N leader had not been involved in drug dealing then how he bought properties worth billions of rupees.

Afridi also played an alleged audio message from Sanaullah during the press conference. He added that Sanaullah was openly targeting ANF personnel and notice should be taken of threats.

Afridi further said Sanaullah was arrested from the road and not from his home with 15kg of heroin and ANF presented the evidence within two weeks.

He said ANF had produced evidence in the court under Code of Criminal Procedure. "This would be the first trial in the country in which not a single prosecution witness has been summoned," he said, adding that the accused are indicted after producing challan in the court under Code of Criminal Procedure. "The ANF does not convict any accused itself," he said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019