ISLAMABAD, July 21 (TNS): The Control of Narcotics Substances (CNS) court a short while ago awarded life term to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi in Ephedrine quota case.
The case surfaced in March 2011 when the then federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin told the National Assembly that the government would investigate the alleged allocation of 9,000 kg’s of ephedrine to two pharmaceutical companies, Berlex Lab International and Danas Pharmaceutical Limited.
According to the rules, a company cannot be allocated more than 500kg of the drug, a limit fixed by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).
Earlier, security was put on high alert on the back entrance to the anti-narcotics court. An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is also present on the spot. Personnel of the Anti-Narcotics Force and police have closed the way leading out of the court.
CNSC judge Muhammad Akram Khan reserved its decision after Hanif Abbasi’s lawyer completed arguments in the court where the accused was also present. The judge said he would pronounce the judgement within the next three to four hours. A day earlier, Judge Mohammad Akram Khan rejected Abbasi’s plea to delay the trial’s deadline, noting that it has to follow orders of the Lahore High Court (LHC).
The judge also remarked that he will continue hearing arguments into the night if it takes that long.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court had dismissed Abbasi’s petition against the LHC order directing to conclude the ephedrine case against him by July 21.
