Sharif's party senior lawmaker arrested in drug-related case

Tariq Butt / Staff Reporter

Senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and former Punjab's law minister Rana Sanaullah Khan was arrested on Monday for "possessing a large quantity of drugs in his vehicle" by the Anti-Narcotics Force's (ANF) team.

Rana, who is the president of the Punjab chapter of the party and a Member of the National Assembly, is said to have been arrested in a drug-related case.

“A large quantity of drugs was recovered from Rana Sanaullah’s car,” the ANF said in a statement, minutes after Rana’s arrest while he was on his way to Lahore from Faisalabad to attend a party meeting.

"We do not make arrests without reason," the ANF said, adding that he was travelling with his guards when he was taken into custody.

PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif strongly condemned the arrest and said that Rana Sanaullah was arrested without any allegation and case against him. He termed it the worst example of "lawlessness and political revenge."

Shahbaz alleged that it was another example of using state institutions against political opponents. He demanded of the government to produce Sana before a court of law.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz blamed Prime Minister Imran Khan for the arrest, accusing him of being "directly behind" the arrest.

Rana’s daughter said that she received a message through motorways’ M-Tag service that her father’s vehicle entered into Lahore at around 3.20pm.