LHC accepts Sana’s plea to shut inquiry

NAB admitted in its reply that no corruption evidence had been found against interior minister, argues counsel

LAHORE:

A Lahore High Court (LHC) division bench headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi on Monday accepted Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah’s plea, seeking closure of assets beyond means inquiry which the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had initiated against him.

As proceedings commenced, Sanaullah’s counsel advocate Amjad Pervez implored the court that Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) claims that the accused made all properties with the money he had earned through narcotics while NAB says that all assets were made with the money of corruption. NAB had also served his client a notice to probe the assets but they had challenged the notice in court, he added.

Pervez argued that the case was being investigated by two different institutions with different viewpoints. He further argued that NAB had also admitted in its reply that no corruption evidence had been found against the interior minister.

Read Non-bailable warrant out for Sanaullah

The court asked whether ANF’s investigation was still pending. To which Pervez said that ANF’s matter is still pending in a relevant court.

The bench once again asked whether or not any reference had been filed against Rana Sanaullah. NAB persecutor Faisal Bukhari replied that the case is being investigated, hence, no reference has been filed.

He further said that the NAB had submitted its reply on the court’s direction. ANF had arrested Sanaullah in a drug peddling case and the LHC had granted him bail.

However, after hearing detailed arguments, the bench accepted Sanaullah’s plea to close the NAB’s inquiry.