LHC accepts Rana Sanaullah’s plea to close NAB inquiry in asset beyond means case

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday accepted the petition of federal interior minister Rana Sanaullah to close the assets beyond the means inquiry launched by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) against him.
A two-member bench of LHC headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi held a hearing of the Rana Sanaullah’s assets beyond the means case.
During the hearing, NAB’s lawyer Faisal Bukhari said that accountability watchdog has submitted its response to the Lahore High Court.
Rana Sanaullah’s lawyer Amjad Parvez informed the court that the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) had arrested the Interior Minister in a drug case and later got bail from the LHC.
The lawyer argued that ANF had alleged that Rana Sanaullah made all his property from drugs business and according to NAB, Rana Sanaullah made his assets from corruption.
Lawyer Amjad Pervez said that NAB had also sent a notice to investigate the property, which has been challenged in court.
Justice Ali Baqar Najafi asked how far NAB’s investigation has reached, to which NAB’s lawyer Faisal Bukhari informed that NAB was still investigating the case.
“The property was the same but two different institutions have come to different positions,” Lawyer Amjad Pervaiz said.
On this, Justice Asjad Javed Gharal inquired if the ANF case is still pending, to which Rana Sanaullah’s lawyer said that the ANF case is under hearing in the concerned court.
The court inquired whether a reference has been filed against Rana Sanaullah, to which the NAB lawyer replied that the case is still at the investigation level, hence, reference has been filed.
After hearing the arguments, the court accepted the petition of federal interior minister Rana Sanaullah to close the assets beyond the means inquiry launched by National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The case:
Last year, NAB’s Lahore Division Director-General Major General (retd) Shahzad Saleem approved an assets beyond means inquiry against Sanaullah.
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.