LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday afternoon granted bail to former Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah in a narcotics case lodged after Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) recovered drugs from his vehicle.

LHC judge Justice Chaudhry Mushtaq Ahmed on Monday heard the arguments of Advocate Zahid Hussain Bukhari, Ahsan Bhawan and Azam Nazir Tarrar on behalf of Rana Sanaullah and Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Prosecutor Muhammad Irfan Malik and reserved the judgment.

Read More: LHC to announce verdict on Rana Sanaullah bail plea in drug smuggling case today

Earlier in his bail plea, Rana Sanaullah had stated that he was arrested in a false case of drugs smuggling due to his criticizing of the government. He acquired a stance that he was booked for smuggling of 21 KG heroin in the FIR, while later the weight of the captured narcotics was declared 15 kilograms.

On December 21, Anti-Narcotics Court Judge Shakir Hussain extended the judicial remand of PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah till January 4 in the heroin recovery case.

The court also issued notices to the investigation officer seeking a reply on the application of Rana Sanaullah for provision of a video of the ministers.

Read More: Rana Sanaullah’s judicial remand extended till December 21

On July 1, Sanaullah was arrested by the ANF after the discovery of a large stash of contraband in his vehicle from near the Sukheke area in Punjab.

Sanaullah, a member of the National Assembly (MNA) and president of the PML-N’s Punjab wing, was arrested while travelling with his guards to a meeting from Faisalabad to Lahore.

A case was filed in accordance with the Control of Narcotics Substances Act, 1997, after a large stash of contraband was recovered from his vehicle.