Two-member LHC bench accepts Rana Sanaullah’s plea seeking closure of NAB inquiry in assets beyond means case

LAHORE, Nov 07, (SABAH): A two-member bench of Lahore High Court headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and comprising Justice Asjad Javaid Ghural conducted a hearing on the plea filed by Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan against the NAB investigation into his assets beyond means case.

During the hearing, NAB’s lawyer Faisal Bukhari said that the anti-graft body has submitted its response to the high court.

Rana Sanaullah Khan’s lawyer Muhammad Amjad Parvez Advocate said that the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) arrested the minister in a case of drugs. It said that Rana Sanaullah made all the property from drug business while NAB says that he has acquired assets through corruption.

Amjad Parvez said that NAB has also sent a notice seeking to investigate the property which has been challenged in the court, adding that there is just one property but there are two different statements from two different organisations regarding it.

“NAB has itself said that there is no evidence of corruption against Rana Sanaullah,” said Parvez. Justice Asjad Javaid Ghural inquired if the ANF case is still pending.

At this, Sanaullah’s lawyer said that the hearing of the case is still underway in the concerned court. “Has a reference been filed against Rana Sanaullah?” the court asked.

The NAB’s lawyer replied that the case is being investigated, hence, no reference has been filed.

Last year, NAB’s Lahore Division approved an assets beyond means inquiry against Rana Sanaullah. The decision was made during a meeting chaired by Lahore NAB’s Director-General Major (retd) Shahzad Saleem at the accountability watchdog’s office in the city.

According to NAB officials, then NAB chairman justice (retd) Javed Iqbal was requested to approve the filing of a reference so that a probe into Rs190 million worth of assets allegedly acquired by Rana Sanaullah can be launched.