Rana Sanaullah exempted from court appearance

LAHORE: An Anti-Narcotics Court judge on Saturday accepted the application of PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah seeking exemption from personal appearance in a drug smuggling case.

The judge also accepted similar applications of the co-accused and fixed April 25 for arguments from both sides.

The FIR of the case was lodged by a deputy director operations of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) on July 1 last year under sections 186,189 and 353 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and 9C of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act 1997. It said the ANF received information that Sana was taking heroin to Lahore. The ANF formed a raiding team consisting of 21 officials. They reached the Ravi Toll Plaza and intercepted two vehicles coming from the motorway. The FIR said that when the accused was asked about the drugs, he admitted that there was heroin in a suitcase behind his seat.

It said Sana’s guards attempted to rescue him but failed. The complainant said the officials seized 15kg of heroin, guns, pistols and bullets, and took the suspects to the ANF headquarters.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2020.