A team from the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) reportedly left Islamabad’s Secretariat Police Station empty-handed on Monday after failing to arrest Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah in a corruption investigation.
The Secretariat Police Station in Islamabad, according to the ACE’s representatives from Punjab, did not abide by the court’s directives.
A special judicial magistrate of Rawalpindi had earlier ordered the provincial anti-graft watchdog officials to detain the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader and bring him before the court.
The ACE team asked the judge to formally designate Sanaullah as an “offender” at the hearing.
However, their request was denied. The magistrate ruled that the PML-N leader could not yet be labeled as an accused criminal.
A civil court in Rawalpindi issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the minister on Saturday and ordered the proper authorities to detain Sanaullah and bring him in for questioning.
The orders were issued by Senior Civil Judge Ghulam Akbar and stated that Sanaullah was named in a first information report (FIR). Sanaullah’s arrest is “essential in the case,” the order said, “therefore non-bailable arrest warrants of the accused may be issued.”
An anti-corruption team headed by Inspector Abdur Rehman arrived at the Kohsar Police station in Islamabad as directed. Officers at the station, however, declined to place Sanaullah under arrest, claiming that his residence was beyond of their purview.
The police station that has jurisdiction over Sanaullah’s residence was urged to be contacted by the anti-corruption team. According to Kohsar police, the residence listed on the arrest warrant is in Faisalabad.
