A special court in Lahore on Saturday acquitted Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, who was accused of drug trafficking during the tenure of former Prime Minister Imran Jan.
Sanaullah was arrested in July 2019 by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) after announcing the seizure of 15 kilograms of heroin from his vehicle. This Saturday, ANF deputy director Imtiaz Ahmed and inspector Ehsaan Azam rejected the charges against Sanaullah as «incorrect».
«We never saw any drugs recovered from the scene,» they said during their appearance, reported by the Pakistani daily ‘Dawn’, while the minister thanked the support received by «all those who raised their voices during that dark moment».
Last August, Sanaullah publicly denounced the former prime minister, who has been at odds with the current government since the no-confidence motion that ousted him from power, for these accusations and rejected any insinuation that the army was behind this case.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has applauded the acquittal of Sanaullah, whose case represented the «worst example of political persecution with the most dangerous repercussions».
«He faced these heinous charges and repression with patience and stood his ground. He is an inspiration to all,» he let it be known on his Twitter account.
