ATC issues arrest warrant for Sanaullah

Law enforcers ordered to arrest, produce minister on March 7

GUJRANWALA:

An anti-terrorism court on Friday issued bailable arrest warrant for Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, rejecting the police's request to set the case aside.
Accountability Judge Rana Zahid issued the directives.

The court was hearing the terrorism case registered against Sanaullah in August last year. The police had registered a case after PML-Q leader Shahkaz Aslam accused Sanaullah of threatening to kill the chief secretary and his family.

The FIR had been filed under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (punishment for acts of terrorism), and sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 189 (threat of injury to public servant) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The complaint said that Sanaullah, during his speeches on April 16, 2021, and January 29, 2022, had threatened to stop the judiciary from performing its constitutional duties and kill the children of government officials.

The FIR had also reproduced the interior minister’s remarks, which according to it were aired on a private TV channel programme in August last year.

During the proceedings on Friday, the police produced a final report on the case with the omission of the minister’s name in it.

The judge, however, rejected the report and issued notices to Gujrat SP investigation, the deputy superintendent of police, and investigating officer.

The court also directed law enforcers to arrest and produce the minister before the ATC on March 7.