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Rana Sanaullah acquitted in drugs case

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  • PML-N leader given clean chit in drugs smuggling case.
  • Prosecutor resigns 15 mins before court was to take up acquittal plea.
  • PML-N takes a jibe at PTI after acquittal.

LAHORE: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Saturday has been acquitted by a special court in Lahore in a drugs smuggling case filed against him in 2019.

Sanaullah was arrested on July 01, 2019, by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Lahore team near Ravi Toll Plaza on the motorway. He was travelling from Faisalabad to Lahore. 

The ANF claimed to have recovered 15kg of heroin from his vehicle, while it arrested five others, including Sanaullah’s driver and security guards.

He was sent on judicial remand the next day by the court.

Sanaullah remained incarcerated for six months until the Lahore High Court (LHC) granted him bail on December 24, 2019.

The then PTI government drew heavy fire from the opposition and was alleged of carrying out a political witch-hunt against rivals. The Imran Khan-led regime, however, denied having a hand in Sanaullah’s arrest.

The PML-N leader had filed a plea in the court seeking acquittal today and sought an early hearing. The court then fixed the hearing for 2pm.

At the outset of the hearing, Prosecutor Danish Mashkoor informed the court that he has resigned and was no more associated with the case. “I can not sign off witnesses’ statement.”

After this, the remaining two prosecutors signed the document.

Rana Sanaullah’s counsel, Advocate Farhad Shah, argued before the court that two witnesses in the case have retracted their statements. “They were witnesses of the recovery memo,” the defence informed the court and added, “The prosecution has no case to prove”.

The court then announced the verdict acquitting Rana Sanaullah and other co-accused Sibtain, Usman, Amir, and Akram from the drugs smuggling case.

Witnesses retract statements

Inspector Ehsan Azam, a witness in the case, said: “he has no knowledge of the events nor was the recovery made in his presence”.

“I did not witness recovery. I was made a witness but I don’t know the facts neither I support the prosecution’s case in any way.”

Another witness, Assistant Director Imtiaz Ahmed, told the court that he was not aware of Rana Sanaullah’s case and drugs were not recovered in his presence.

“I was made a witness in the case; I do not support the prosecution’s case. I did not see any recovery of drugs.”

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The President has signed the 26th constitutional amendment, and a notification has been issued.

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On Monday, the 26th amendment was ratified by President Asif Ali Zardari, bringing the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan up to date.

Following days of negotiations between the opposition and the Treasury, the amendment was finally approved by the National Assembly and the Senate on Sunday night.

The prime minister signed the recommendation to be forwarded to the president of Pakistan for confirmation following the amendment’s approval by both chambers of the legislature.

Following its implementation, the amendment’s notification was also released.

Recall that a legislative committee will select Pakistan’s top justice following the amendment’s implementation.

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Unexpected development: JUI-F displays ‘forward bloc’ surfaces

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A “forward bloc” made up of four to five members of the National Assembly appears to be an unexpected indication of disunity within Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), according to sources who spoke with Dunya News.

The 26th constitutional amendment package is reportedly the subject of four to five JUI-F lawmakers who have formed a “forward bloc.”

Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) central head Aslam Ghori, however, has reportedly disputed the existence of any advance faction inside the party.

Each of their eight MNAs and five senators are in communication, he continued, adding. The leadership of JUI-F is in contact with all of them. Still, no one was reaching out to our lone senator, Abdul Shakoor.

The head of JUI-F has previously claimed that his MNAs were being intimidated and harassed in interviews with the press.

Speaking on the kidnapping of one of his party members and the intimidation of another, he bemoaned the harassment of JUI-F and BNP members.

The administration is intimidating our Members of Parliament while simultaneously having discussions on a package of constitutional amendments.

Fazl declared, “We will be forced to give consultation process on the issue if the government continues with such tactics.”

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Constitutional amendment proposed: NA session is postponed until 6 p.m.

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As stated by the assembly secretariat, today’s (Friday) National Assembly (NA) session has been postponed until 6 p.m.

The meeting, which Speaker Ayaz Sadiq was to lead at 11 a.m., has been postponed, according to the National Assembly Secretariat.

Under Rule 49, the National Assembly speaker’s time was modified, as announced by the secretariat.

An eight-point agenda itemised by the secretariat has also been made public. Nonetheless, the 26th constitutional amendment bill’s introduction is not on the agenda.

You might remember that since last month, the Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led coalition government has been working to get the constitutional amendment approved.

In the absence of agreement on the 26th amendment to the Constitution, the administration was unable to secure the necessary two-thirds majority, leading to the National Assembly’s indefinite adjournment on September 16.

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