State Minister for Narcotics Control Sheryar Afridi and Rana Sanullah of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday traded barbs as the former urged the latter to face the trial with his chest out if he is 'man enough.'
Speaking in the National Assembly, Minister for States and Frontier Regions (Safron) and Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi contended that Sanaullah - who is nominated in a drug case - must face the trial if he is 'man enough' and Sanullah kept asking the minister to swear the Holy Quran like he did.
But the minister instead advised Sanullah to follow the teachings of the Holy Quran instead of swearing on it, and get ready to face the trial which is set to take place from January 18.
Khawaja Asif, the Parliamentary Leader of PML-N, brought a copy of the Holy Quarn in a bid to force Afridi to swear on it, but Fakhr Imam, who was presiding over the session suspended the proceedings, asking both sides to settle the issue in the court.
Afridi said Sanaullah does not want to face the court in the drug case filed against him by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF).
Referring to the last sitting of the House where Sanaullah picked up the Holy Quran and swore that he was innocent, the minister said: "I have been told that he is carrying around the Holy Quran with him. You should learn to follow the holy book."
"If you are sure, there should be no fear to face the trial. Just go to the court and fight the case with your chest out. Stop beating around the bush," he said, adding that the incumbent government did not come to power to target or bully its opponents.
The minister's speech was interrupted by the PML-N leader's entry into the House. Seeing Sanaullah coming to the House, Afridi said, "I thought you would bring a copy of the Holy Quran today but you have brought a file with you."
"Anyway, let us take this matter to a logical conclusion here today. There is a hearing on January 18, let him stand up and say that the trial should be initiated so that the truth can be revealed," he added.
"Don't run away. This government and ministry will not let you run away. We will take this to the end because this matter concerns my generation and my country," he maintained.
The minister further said that members from opposition parties appreciated him for being "brave enough". "It's not me who is brave enough, it is the people who stand before tyrants. We will take this case to its logical end. Look into my eyes Rana sahib and get ready to face the court," he contended.
After Afridi's speech, Sanaullah addressed the House and denied his involvement in the case.
"May God curse me if I've ever been in contact with a heroin dealer or tried to influence on behalf of anyone. The ANF officials, who arrested me last year, had no idea about the case being prepared against him," he claimed.
"I have been accused of having links with an international gang which supply drugs to all over the world after bringing it to Lahore and Faisalabad from Afghanistan. If it is true then why has the government not arrested any other member of the gang when I had been in jail for seven months?" he questioned.
Sanaullah said that the trial of a case can only start after registration of a first information report (FIR) and completion of inquiry. "However, no inquiry has been conducted in the case," he added.
The former Punjab law minister was arrested by the ANF Lahore team in July last year while he was travelling from Faisalabad to Lahore near the Ravi Toll Plaza on the motorway, claiming to have seized 15kg heroin from his vehicle. A special team of the force had also arrested five others, including the driver and security guards of the PML-N leader.
Sanaullah, who insists that he has been arrested in a false case and is being politically victimized, was granted bail by the Lahore High Court (LHC) in December last.