The Lahore High Court termed on Monday the non-bailable arrest warrants against Pakistan Muslim League-N leader and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah “a joke” and deemed it illegal.
The Rawalpindi bench of the LHC was hearing a petition filed by the interior minister seeking withdrawal of the arrest warrants against him.
Last week, the bench had suspended Sanaullah’s arrest warrant issued in an inquiry related to the purchase of plots in a housing society at a “throwaway price”. Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan had also stopped the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment from arresting the minister and raiding his house. The court has sought the case record from ACE.
At the outset of the hearing at LHC’s Rawalpindi bench, Justice Sadaqat expressed his anger against additional DG ACE Punjab and remarked that the warrants of the interior minister were issued over an incorrect statement.
“Why should I not send you to jail for the incorrect registration of the case?” observed the judge. He also asked the whereabouts of the DG ACE Punjab as he was directed to appear in court Monday.
“You need to present evidence against Rana Sanaullah, where is it? You made Rana Sanaullah Pakistan’s No. 1 proclaimed offender without evidence,” said the judge.
During the proceedings, the ACE informed the court that the FIR alleges that “Rana Sanaullah and his wife bought property, but his name is not mentioned”, adding that the reference to the PML-N leader has been made by mentioning him as a “provincial minister”.
Dismayed by the information received, the court remarked “there is nothing against Rana Sanaullah, why don’t we send you to jail?”.
“There have been thousands of provincial ministers,” the court added.
“Explain how this (alleged) corruption became bribe,” the court said, “prove this; pray tell who did Rana Sanaullah bribe? What is the crime?”
