Shehryar Afridi defends narcotics case against Rana Sanaullah

State Minister for Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi on Wednesday alleged that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah’s legal team was adopting delaying tactics in the drugs trafficking case.

The minister defended the decision to launch a case against the PML-N while addressing a news conference in Islamabad on the bail granted to the PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah by the Lahore High Court (LHC).

“After the Lahore High Court (LHC) granted bail to the former law minister, a perception was created in the media that Rana Sanaullah was innocent,” said the minister.

Afridi clarified that he did not speak about the issue earlier as he was out of the country.

“This is a season of bails,” commented the state minister, while insisting that the Anti-Narcotics Force is a professional force.

“There’s a lot of talk in the media about video evidence,” he said. The minister clarified that he used the word footages in his press conferences.

It is pertinent to mention here that Afridi, in the aftermath of Sanaullah's arrest, had repeatedly defended the ANF, claiming to have "pictures and video record" and saying that the PML-N leader's car was monitored for three weeks before a move was made.

“The court has not issued the order yet and the legal team would decide about the future strategy,” maintained Afridi.

On Tuesday, the LHC granted post-arrest bail to the former provincial minister in a 15-kg heroin recovery case, lodged by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF).

The PML-N leader got the relief after five months and 23 days in the ANF custody.

The ANF had arrested Sanaullah on July 1 while he was heading for a meeting from Faisalabad to Lahore. 

A case was filed in accordance with the Control of Narcotics Substances Act, 1997 after a large stash of contraband was allegedly recovered from his vehicle.