Rana Sanaullah is charged with 15kg heroin trafficking, which carries the death sentence, life imprisonment, or a jail term of up to 14 years, as well as a fine of up to Rs1 million.

LAHORE: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah was not charged on Saturday since he ignored the hearing and indictment in a narcotics trafficking case.

The interior minister is charged with 15kg heroin trafficking, which carries the death sentence, life imprisonment, or a jail term of up to 14 years, as well as a fine of up to Rs1 million. During the last hearing, the special court for the control of narcotic drugs set June 25 as the date for filing charges against him and others in the three-year-old case.

Rana Sanaullah, on the other hand, did not appear in court on Saturday. On his behalf, an application was filed with the court requesting a one-time exemption from personal attendance owing to his involvement in the National Assembly. The judge accepted the plea and rescheduled the case for July 23.

Other nominated suspects in the case, however, came to court and registered their attendance: Muhammad Akram, Sibtain Haider, Usman Ahmed, Asim Rustam, and Umar Farooq. The court has repeatedly set a date to file charges against the minister, but he has evaded them on various grounds.

Rana Sanaullah was apprehended in 2019 by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF). The ANF claimed to have recovered 15kg of heroin from his possession.