Shut courts if oaths are to decide cases: ANF DG

Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) Director General (DG) Major General Muhammad Arif Malik has said that courts should be closed if cases “are to be decided through taking oath”, The News reported.

The ANF chief’s statement came as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah, who was granted bail in the drugs trafficking case against him, continues to swear over the Quran that he is innocent and the case is bogus.

The ANF has challenged the bail of the former Punjab law minister Sanaullah before the Supreme Court, filing a petition against the verdict of the Lahore High Court (LHC). It has argued that there was sufficient evidence against Sanaullah for being involved in the drugs case.

The ANF alleged the PML-N leader was carrying around 15 kilograms of heroin with him when he was arrested from Sukheki in July last year. The force asked the court to set aside the verdict of the LHC wherein he was allowed bail.

Later, talking to the reporters, the ANF DG asked if any murderer ever admitted in court or in public that he/she killed a person. He said Rana Sanaullah’s case was being heard by the court and he should provide evidence of his innocence there.

Major General Arif Malik said Rana Sanaullah and Minister of State for Narcotics Control Shaharyar Afridi both took oath and therefore, a draw should be held to figure out who is the culprit.

Responding to a journalist who asked the ANF DG that if he could swear about the veracity of the case, he said courts should be closed if things were to be settled that way.