ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Narcotics Control Shehryar Afridi Wednesday said that former Punjab minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah has not yet been exonerated in the narcotics case and the perception being created by the vested elements in this regard is baseless.

Talking to media, he said Rana Sanaullah is still an accused in the narcotics case, and the court has only granted him bail. The government respects court’s decision, he added. Afridi said that neither he nor Prime Minister Imran Khan arrested PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah, adding that there has been ‘zero interference’ or political victimisation in the PML-N leader’s legal proceedings.

The minister said that all relevant evidences including footages have already been provided to the relevant forum. However, delaying tactics were used by Rana’s counsel to linger on the case, he said, and added that optimum efforts will be made to take the case to logical conclusion and that no compromise will be made on principles.

Acknowledging media’s role in popularity of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), he urged the media to show both sides of the coin in Rana Sanaullah’s case through responsible reporting. The media should investigate the merits of case and go in-depth to check the veracity of the evidence. “The people have not yet forgotten the Model Town massacre of innocent workers of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT),” Shehryar said. “The allegations of Abid Sher Ali’s father, also a leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), against Rana Sanaullah are also fresh in the minds of the people,” he said, and mentioned that the same person is now propagating his innocence.

“One thing is being connected to me – video, video, video.

“In the first press conference, with the DG ANF […] I referenced some footage. It was presented in a strange way.” In response to a query over the “footages” in question, Afridi said: “Look at all my press conferences […] wherever I spoke about the videos I said [we have the] footages. In 17 days, all things were provided.”

Afridi said his reference to videos had ‘repeatedly been made an issue’, adding that this was the job of the prosecution in courts. “It is not my job or yours, why should we be the judges or the jury. This is the job of the courts. The case will be presented in the courts, where a trial [will take place],” he said. “We will take this case to its logical end. Keeping all legal procedures at the forefront, we will read the order and will go all out,” he added.

At the outset of his press conference, Afridi said, “Did the prime minister arrest him (Sanaullah)? Did I? […] certainly not. We did not interfere in his legal proceedings, there is no victimisation at any level. Time will prove this, though this is the season of bails,” he said. “Remember that the Anti-Narcotics Force is a professional force. We need to strengthen institutions, Shehryar will come and go, rulers will come and go, the real thing is the institutions of Pakistan,” he added.

He said the ANF is striving hard for the eradication of drugs from the country to save the future generations. “Neither me nor Anti-Narcotics Force has any personal grudge against any accused including Rana Sanaullah,” he added. Responding to a question, he said the nation is carefully watching that Nawaz Sharif was busy in shopping and his treatment has not yet started despite propaganda about his precarious medical condition.

Ahead of his press conference, in a statement, Afridi said they (the government) will challenge Sanaullah’s bail in the Supreme Court. He said that they have still not been provided with the LHC order, adding that Sanaullah’s bail has been granted through a verbal order. “We will wait for the court’s written order to present our stance,” he wrote.