Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah has alleged that former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa directed the registration of a narcotics case against him in 2019.
Sanaullah was arrested in July 2019 during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government after the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) claimed it recovered 15 kilograms of heroin from his vehicle. He was later granted bail by the Lahore High Court.
Speaking during a podcast interview, Sanaullah recalled an interaction with Gen (retd) Bajwa and former intelligence chief Faiz Hamid, during which the former army chief allegedly made remarks about his physical appearance.
According to Sanaullah, Gen Bajwa said, “Rana, you have become very fat. You were very smart in jail. Faiz, make Rana sahib smart again.” Sanaullah said he responded by directly telling the former army chief that the case against him had been registered on his instructions.
“I told him that the case against me was made at your behest. May Allah hold you accountable for it in this world,” Sanaullah said.
He rejected the suggestion that serving military officers could act independently in such matters, stating that no in-service officer could fabricate a false case without the approval of the army chief.
“It is impossible for a serving officer to register a false case without the army chief’s consent and not face a court martial the very next day,” he said.
Sanaullah further alleged that during the tenure of PTI founder Imran Khan, key state decisions were made with the consent of Gen Bajwa and Faiz Hamid.
No probe against Bajwa
Meanwhile, following the recent conviction of a former intelligence chief by a Field General Court Martial, speculation has emerged in political and media circles regarding possible legal action against Gen (retd) Bajwa.
However, informed sources have dismissed such reports, stating that no inquiry, probe or legal proceedings are currently underway against the former army chief.
According to sources, the military accountability process that led to the conviction of the former spymaster was strictly evidence-based and limited to his individual actions, with no material linking Gen (retd) Bajwa to the case.
Sources added that after the completion of accountability proceedings within the military, expectations are growing that scrutiny may extend beyond the armed forces to include politicians, bureaucrats, judges and media figures alleged to have played roles in past political engineering or constitutional violations.
