Afridi distances himself from Sana’s arrest
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shehryar Afridi has said he did not personally lodge a narcotics case against the incumbent minister for interior, Rana Sanaullah, during his tenure as the state minister for interior in 2019.
"Let me make it clear that I did not put Rana Sanaullah in jail. A major general, who was the head of the ANF [Anti-Narcotic Force] arrested him based on intelligence reports. They had everything against Rana Sanaullah," Afridi said on Saturday.
The PTI leader was addressing the media after appearing in a district and sessions court in Islamabad.
On July 1, 2019, an ANF Lahore team apprehended Rana Sanaullah near Ravi Toll Plaza on the motorway, allegedly for his involvement in drug-related activities.
The ANF reported the seizure of 15kg of heroin from Sanaullah's vehicle and the subsequent arrest of five individuals, including his driver and security guards.
The PTI government had then claimed to have a strong case against Sanaullah.
During a National Assembly session, Sanaullah had sworn by the Holy Quran, alleging that a false case had been concocted against him. He had expressed his willingness to undergo investigation at every forum. Afridi had challenged Sanaullah to face trial "like a man" without employing delaying tactics.
The PTI leader had vowed to pursue the case against Sanaullah until its logical conclusion, assuring that the government would not allow the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader to evade justice.
Afridi's comments in 2019, including an Urdu phrase "jaan Allah ko deni hai" (My life belongs to God), attracted media attention in relation to Sanaullah's case.
Read: Narcotics case against Sanaullah was rubbish, says Fawad Chaudhry
On Saturday, Afridi told the media that he had never committed any wrongdoing against anyone and expressed his belief in the justice system. "The state is like a mother, and a mother does not mistreat her children. May Allah protect my motherland!"
Regarding the mass exodus from the PTI in the wake of the May 9 rioting, Afridi said: "I will refrain from commenting on those who have left the party. Only God knows the circumstances and reasons that led to their departure. These are just tests. May Allah make us all successful."
He expressed his faith in the path of truth, mentioning that the help of the Almighty is sufficient.
Earlier, Afridi appeared in the court of Judge Naveed Khan in a case related to his alleged involvement in the May 9 riots. During the proceedings, the investigating officer requested the court to remand Afridi in custody for five days, citing the need to conduct photometric and voice matching tests.
Judicial Magistrate Naveed Khan granted permission to Afridi to meet his family in the courtroom. He later remanded him in police custody for two days.
Upon reaching the rostrum, Afridi became emotional. "My brother passed away, and I was not allowed to participate in the funeral. Protesting is my constitutional right. I did not take the law into my own hands," he said.
The PTI leader was taken into custody on May 16 from his residence in Islamabad under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960. This ordinance grants the government the authority to arrest individuals.
Shortly after his release from a prison in Rawalpindi on May 30, Afridi was rearrested under the same MPO law. The city police officer accused Afridi of "instigating/planning to organise an unlawful assembly/commit violence, delivering unlawful speeches to cause harm to human life and public/private properties."
Although the Islamabad High Court (IHC) overturned the orders for his detention on June 6, Afridi remained confined in a death cell at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. In response, the IHC warned the officials of the capital police about potential contempt proceedings.