KARACHI: Special Assistant for Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan said that the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) will file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the verdict of the Lahore High Court in Rana Sanaullah’s bail plea.

Addressing the media person in Islamabad on Thursday, Awan said it is being discussed on media the reason why Sanaullah’s physical remand was not taken by the ANF. She stated that the remand is taken when something has to be retrieved from an accused.

“In Sanaullah’s case, the ANF had already seized 15 kilogrammes of drugs from his possession when he was arrested.”

She maintained that ANF is a state institution and it has exposed to media trial. She said, “It is being portrayed that ANF has personal enmity with the PML-N leader.”

Firdous said that people should keep from scandalizing the ANF. The special assistant claimed that there are certain legal flaws in the LHC verdict in Rana Sanaullah’s bail plea. On Thursday, the LHC issued a detailed verdict on Sanauallah’s bail plea.

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The court stated that political victimization in the country is not hidden and the similar aspect cannot be overlooked in the case.

The LHC in its nine-page bail granting judgment said, “Learned counsel of [petitioner] also argued that case was registered for the reasons that petitioner was a vocal member of [the] opposition party and was criticizing the policies of the incumbent government and on that account, he was put behind the bars.”

“However, in the context of [the] petitioner being a vocal political leader of [the] opposition party, this aspect of the case could not be ignored as political victimization in our country is an open secret.”

“Law is also well settled that seriousness of allegation is not a ground for refusal of bail if on merits it is found that prosecution’s case is doubtful as [a] benefit of [the] doubt always goes to the accused even at [the] bail stage. Incarceration of accused before conviction in cases of doubtful nature is never approved by the courts,” said the LHC bail verdict.

“Learned counsel for petitioner also argued that case was registered for the reasons that petitioner was a vocal member of opposition party and was criticizing the policies of incumbent government and on that account he was put behind the bars. Though such argument at bail stage is not attached much weight for the reason that deeper appreciation at the stage of bail is not permissible nor desirable… law is also well settled that seriousness of allegation is not a ground for refusal of bail if on merits it is found that prosecution’s case is doubtful as benefit of doubt always goes to the accused even at bail stage. Incarceration of accused before conviction in cases of doubtful nature is never approved by the courts,” the judgement read.

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Sanaullah was granted bail on December 24 in a drugs case filed by the Anti-Narcotics Force for allegedly possessing a huge amount of drugs in his vehicle.