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                        <title>The Express Tribune</title>
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			<title>Ephedrine quota case: Judge censures Musa Gilani for being late</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/584405/ephedrine-quota-case-judge-censures-musa-gilani-for-being-late</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/584405/ephedrine-quota-case-judge-censures-musa-gilani-for-being-late#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 31 Jul 13 04:51:26 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Court agrees to hear plea of ex-secretary health for unfreezing assets.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Control of Narcotics Substances Court (CNSC) Special Judge on Tuesday snubbed Syed Ali Musa Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, over appearing before the court late.


The CNSC Special Judge Arshad Mehmood Tabbasum warned Musa Gilani that his arrest warrants would be issued if he was late for the next hearing.

The court was hearing the case of illegal allocation of the quota of ephedrine, a controlled substance used in medicines that is also used in the manufacture of party drugs.

The court agreed to hear the plea of the former secretary health Khushnood Akhtar Lashari filed for unfreezing his assets, and issued notices to Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) to present the record of the case.

The assets of accused have been frozen under the law that requires confiscation of properties acquired with drug money.



Earlier, the trial court could not frame charges against the accused including former federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin and Syed Ali Musa Gilani in the ephedrine case owing to absence of a co-accused Abdul Khaliq and the objections raised by the accused in challan presented by the ANF.

The court postponed the hearing of the case till August 17. Similarly, the judge also postponed the proceedings in the freezing of assets case of the accused till August 3.

After the hearing, Musa Gilani told reporters that he has nothing to do with the ephedrine case and that his family and his party, PPP, are being politically victimised.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 31st, 2013.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine case: Court orders confiscation of Lashari’s assets</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/576741/ephedrine-case-court-orders-confiscation-of-lasharis-assets</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/576741/ephedrine-case-court-orders-confiscation-of-lasharis-assets#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 14 Jul 13 04:48:22 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[fawad.ali]]>
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				<![CDATA[Also orders assets seizure of officials of two pharma companies; counsels declare assets of Ali Musa and Shahabuddin.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Control of Narcotic Substances court has ordered the confiscation of assets owned by former prime minister’s principal secretary Khushnood Lashari and the heads of two pharmaceutical companies for their alleged involvement in the infamous ephedrine case.


The court took the decision after Lashari and the heads of the pharma companies – Berlex Lab International, Multan, and Danas Pharmaceutical, Islamabad – didn’t show up before the judge on Saturday and declare their assets.

Apart from Lashari, the assets of Berlex pharma’s chief executive Iftikhar Khan Babar and Danas pharma’s directors Col (retd) Tahirul Wadood Lahoti and Rizwan Ahmed Khan will be confiscated on the court orders.

Earlier during the proceedings, Ali Musa Gilani’s counsel Chaudhry Faisal Hussain submitted the details of assets and sources of income of his client’s wife and brother. Hussain told the court that Ali Musa had Rs1.53 million in his account while his brother Abdul Qadir Gilani and wife Fouzia had Rs444,000 and Rs27,226 in their accounts, respectively. The lawyer also sought to distance Ali Musa’s father, former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, from the case saying that the latter had no role in the illegal allocation of the ephedrine quota.



Former federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin’s counsel Abdul Rasheed Sheikh also declared the assets of his client during the hearing. He told the court that Shahabuddin’s sole source of income was the agricultural land he owns. He added that his client inherited his wealth and property from his ancestors.

The case was adjourned till July 30.

The case came to light last February when the Supreme Court pointed out the involvement of high-profile politicians in the illegal allocation of around 9,000 kilogrammes of ephedrine to the two pharma companies and its conversion for sale in the local market.

Those accused in the case include Ali Musa, Shahabuddin and Lashari, their families and other officials of the health department. The CNS court commenced proceedings against Shahabuddin, Ali Musa and Lashari on March 8. The nine accused were summoned and warrants were issued repeatedly for the arrest of Lashari and alleged frontmen Tauqir Ali Khan and Syed Anjum Shah – the two were charged with procuring the ephedrine for Berlex and Danas.

The prosecution maintained that Khan acted as a frontman for Ali Musa, while Shah acted on behalf of Shahabuddin.

According to the ANF, Danas and Berlex pharma companies obtained 9,000kg quota of controlled chemical ephedrine from the health ministry for export to Iraq and Afghanistan in 2010. The two companies allegedly used the ephedrine meant for export for local consumption, and later smuggled the controlled substance to Iran, via Quetta and Karachi, pocketing Rs7 billion in the process.


Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2013.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine case: Properties of Khushnood Lashari, other directors to be seized</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/576453/ephedrine-case-properties-of-khushnood-lashari-other-directors-to-be-seized</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/576453/ephedrine-case-properties-of-khushnood-lashari-other-directors-to-be-seized#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 13 Jul 13 07:32:44 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[The judge adjourned the court till July 30.]]>
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			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Judge Arshad Mehmood’s court ordered the seizure of assets belonging to former federal health secretary Khushnood Akhtar Lashari in the infamous ephedrine quota case, reported Express News on Saturday.

Khushnood Akhtar Lashari’s houses in Lahore and Islamabad will be seized after Lashari failed to provide details of his assets to the court as was ordered on July 6.

Pharmaceutical Director Col (retd) Tahirul Wadood Lahoti, chief executive of Berlex Lab International Multan Iftikhar Khan Babar, and Director Rizwan Ahmed Khan’s properties will also be seized based on the same failure to submit answers to the court.

Others to list details of assets to the court were ex-prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani’s son Ali Musa Gillani and spouse Fouzia Gillani. They claimed that the money shown has not been made through the sale of ephedrine but was made through personal means.

The Control of Narcotics Substances (CNS) court on July 6 issued notices to 15 accused in the ephedrine case including ex-prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, his wife Fouzia Gilani and son Ali Musa Gilani to inform the court in writing about their source of income.

The judge adjourned the court till July 30.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine scam: ANF given two weeks to present charge-sheets in court</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/504749/ephedrine-scam-anf-given-two-weeks-to-present-charge-sheets-in-court</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/504749/ephedrine-scam-anf-given-two-weeks-to-present-charge-sheets-in-court#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 09 Feb 13 01:13:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[obaid.abbasi]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Judge concerned over delay; ANF claims investigation ongoing.]]>
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			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A trial court judge on Friday gave the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) an additional two weeks to submit charge-sheets against the accused in the ephedrine scam.  


Special Judge Control of Narcotics Substances (CNS) Arshad Mehmood Tabassum expressed concern over the delay in the submission of the charge-sheets when the hearing of the ephedrine case was resumed.

ANF Deputy Director Abid Zulfiqar requested the court to give him 10 days for submitting a charge-sheet against the accused in ephedrine case, however the court asked him the reasons for not submitting it so far.

Zulfiqar claimed that the investigation into the scam was ongoing and the ANF needed more time to complete the inquiry. The court accepted his request and adjourned the case.



Some of the political heavyweights accused in this case include MNA Ali Musa Gilani, former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s son, Federal Minister for Textile Industries Makhdoom Shahabuddin, as well as former health secretary Khushnood Lashari, their families and other officials of the health department.

In June 2012, an ANF magistrate had issued arrest warrants for Shahabuddin when he was in the process of submitting nomination papers for the prime minister’s slot after Gilani’s disqualification. All the accused managed to get bail from the courts, however.

On January 30, the same court had issued notices to the accused including Gilani’s wife, in response to an application filed by ANF seeking permanent freezing of assets and bank accounts. The bench had asked them to submit replies till February 12.

According to the ANF, Danas Pharmaceutical Company Islamabad and Berlex Pharmaceutical Multan obtained 9,500 kg quota of controlled chemical ephedrine from the Ministry of Health for export to Iraq and Afghanistan in 2010.

Later, the pharmaceutical companies allegedly got the export quota converted for local consumption and smuggled the chemical to Iran with the help of smugglers in Quetta and Karachi and made Rs7 billion.

Last February, the Supreme Court pointed out the involvement of high-profile politicians in the illegal allocation of 9,500kg ephedrine to two pharmaceutical companies and its conversion for sale in the local market.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9th, 2013.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine case: Court seeks reply from accused over property seizure</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/500499/ephedrine-case-court-seeks-reply-from-accused-over-property-seizure</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/500499/ephedrine-case-court-seeks-reply-from-accused-over-property-seizure#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 30 Jan 13 07:49:30 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[mudassir.raja]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=500499</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Assets made from drug-money can be confiscated according to Narcotics Act.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Special Judge Anti-Narcotics Court Arshad Mehmood Tabassum on Tuesday issued notices to the accused in the case of illegal allocation of ephedrine quota and their family members to respond to the seizure of their properties by Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF).


The judge directed the accused including Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Federal Minister for Textile Industries, Ali Musa Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Khushnood Akhtar Lashari, former federal secretary ministry of health, and their families to respond to the ANF steps by February 12, 2013.

In its application the ANF prosecutor informed the trial court that the ANF had seized the immovable property and the bank accounts of the accused involved in illegal allocation of 9000 kg of ephedrine to two different pharmaceutical companies under the Control of Narcotic Substance Act.

Under the law the ANF can seize property made from drug-money. The investigators were to inform the accused through the trial court about their steps.

The accused in narcotics cases can respond to the notices of the trial court and give their defence. If the trial court is satisfied by the grounds of the accused the property could be de-sealed and title restored to the owners.  It may be mentioned here that Makhdoom Shahabuddin has already filed two petitions in the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench against the sealing of his property in Rahim Yar Khan and freezing of his bank accounts.

All of the accused in the ephedrine case are on bail.

According to the ANF, in 2010 Danas Pharmaceutical Company Islamabad and Berlex Pharmaceutical Multan obtained 9000 kg quota of controlled chemical ephedrine from the ministry of health for export to Iraq and Afghanistan.



Later the medicine manufacturers got the export quota converted for local consumption and allegedly smuggled the chemical to Iran with the help of smugglers in Quetta and Karachi and earned seven billion rupees.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2013.]]>
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			<title>Widening probe: ANF identifies 7 more firms in ephedrine racket</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/475817/widening-probe-anf-identifies-7-more-firms-in-ephedrine-racket</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/475817/widening-probe-anf-identifies-7-more-firms-in-ephedrine-racket#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 06 Dec 12 04:51:01 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[umer.nangiana]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Agency suspects MNA Abbasi’s company was forging documents.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Further investigations into the ephedrine quota case have helped the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) indentify seven more pharmaceutical companies that allegedly obtained the illegal quota, besides the two companies initially charged.


The seven companies include PML-N MNA Hanif Abbasi’s Gray Pharmaceuticals. ANF officials told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Narcotics Control on Wednesday that Abbasi’s company provided documents showing that the obtained quantity of ephedrine did not match the production of the drug.

The officials told the committee that ANF suspected Gray Pharmaceuticals was forging documents and was part of the scam. They said 106 companies were allotted the quota for ephedrine.

Chairman Standing Committee on Narcotics Control MNA Murtaza Javed Abbasi formed a sub-committee to evaluate the progress in the ephedrine quota case. “The sub-committee will ascertain the current situation of the provision of the quota to the companies and any irregularities in it, besides monitoring the progress of the investigations,” Abbasi said.

ANF officials told the committee that Standard Operating Procedures for any future allotment of the ephedrine quota were tightened. The officials added that  pharmaceutical companies would now be required to give a three-year record of their production and sale.

The committee also discussed the draft of the Control of Narcotic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2012, moved by MNA Nosheen Saeed. Abbasi asked the Ministry of Narcotics Control’s (MoNC) legal expert and the Ministry of Law to discuss the draft bill with MNA Saeed and come up with a workable draft.



The ministry objected to the provision of proposed punishments in certain clauses, declaring them as contradictory to other laws.

30 tonnes of drugs concealed

Meanwhile, ANF officials told the standing committee that they had information on the presence of almost 30 tonnes of drugs concealed all over the country, but they could not seize it.

“We do not have resources. The government has not released us the funds [worth] Rs250 million that we need to use for paying the informers and carrying out other related exercises,” an ANF official stated.

Threat of HIV

Providing data on the number of drug users in Pakistan, an official of the MoNC told the standing committee that Pakistan has 625,000 drugs users. Among them, 125,000 were injected drug users (IDUs), according to a 2006 assessment on drug use.

“It was noted that 80% of IDUs in Sindh and 70% in Punjab were sharing needles and were at risk of being HIV positive,” the MoNC official claimed. He told the committee that the prevalence of HIV among IDUs was 27%.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>ANF granted 3-day physical remand of ephedrine smuggler</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/467051/anf-granted-3-day-physical-remand-of-ephedrine-smuggler</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/467051/anf-granted-3-day-physical-remand-of-ephedrine-smuggler#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 17 Nov 12 05:31:44 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[mudassir.raja]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Abdul Khaliq is accused of smuggling 9,000kg of ephedrine to Iran.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) obtained three days of physical remand on Friday of an alleged smuggler involved in the ephedrine case, saying the accused was to be interrogated about other men involved in the case. 


ANF Deputy Director Abid Zulfiqar obtained physical remand of Abdul Khaliq after he was arrested from the Civic Centre in Satellite Town Quetta, saying the accused had allegedly smuggled 9,000 kilogrammes of ephedrine from Balochistan to Iran.

The investigation officer maintained before Magistrate Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam that the arrested man was to be interrogated about others who helped him smuggle the controlled chemical and about where the ephedrine was delivered.

An approver in the ephedrine scam, had revealed earlier to the investigation agency that the chemical was not used for manufacturing medicine and had, in fact, been smuggled to Iran from Karachi and Quetta through exporters.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 17th, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>Detailed judgment: SC censures ANF’s conduct in ephedrine case</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/461944/detailed-judgment-sc-censures-anf%e2%80%99s-conduct-in-ephedrine-case</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/461944/detailed-judgment-sc-censures-anf%e2%80%99s-conduct-in-ephedrine-case#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 07 Nov 12 06:08:48 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Court order says approvers’ statements insufficient proof against Ali Musa, Shahabuddin.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Supreme Court censured the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) on Tuesday for arresting Ali Musa Gilani, son of former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani, at the doorstep of the apex court’s building and said it deprived the aggrieved person access to justice.


In its detailed judgment in the ephedrine case, the court while confirming the bails of Ali Musa and Makhdoom Shahabuddin, observed that ANF’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Shahabuddin on the same day he was to submit nomination papers for premiership could not be a mere coincidence. The detailed judgment was released on Tuesday.

Justice Nasirul Mulk, Justice Tariq Pervez and Justice Amir Hani Muslim were the members of the bench hearing the case. In its verdict, the apex court strongly objected to the conduct of ANF in the case.

The court also observed that there was an ongoing controversy between the ANF director general and the government regarding the jurisdiction to investigate the case.

Addressing the question of mala fide, the court took notice of the fact that the petitioners’ (Ali Musa and Shahabuddin) arrest warrants were issued by the ANF on June 2 – long before statements from approvers Rasheed Jumma and Rizwan Ahmad Khan, are the only evidence against the petitioners.

According to the court order, the ANF prosecutor submitted that the anti narcotics force’s intervention reflects that the petitioners used their influence in procuring an exorbitant quota for ephedrine as well as its conversion for local use. “The prosecutor further said that the investigation shows that ephedrine was smuggled perhaps to be used in manufacturing narcotics,” the order says.

The court also observed that Jumma’s bail application was adjourned 22 times at the request of ANF.

The order also stated that since Jumma had admittedly assigned the ephedrine quota, officially, he was the main figure in the whole episode. It added that according to the approvers’ statements, they had never met with the petitioners themselves. Interestingly, the court said, Dr Jumma appeared to be the principal accused but would ultimately escape any criminal liability and had never been detained in the case.

The court also left the option to detain the approver to the trial court.

The order concluded that there did not appear to be any evidence at this point which indicates that Shahabuddin or Ali Musa made any financial gains from the transactions in question. It added that bail could not be denied to the petitioners as further inquiries were required.

The main evidence against the two petitioners is the statements of the approvers, who had a motive to implicate the petitioners in consideration of their being let off the hook, the order said.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine case: SC confirms bail for Ali Musa, Shahabuddin</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/450931/ephedrine-case-sc-confirms-bail-for-ali-musa-shahabuddin</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/450931/ephedrine-case-sc-confirms-bail-for-ali-musa-shahabuddin#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 13 Oct 12 05:14:52 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[azam.khan]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Apex court rejects ANF request for cancellation of pre-arrest bails.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Supreme Court confirmed on Friday the bails of former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani’s son Ali Musa Gilani and federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin in the ephedrine case.


A three-member bench, headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk, accepted pre-arrest bail petitions filed by Shahabuddin and Ali Musa, and rejected the Anti-Narcotics Force’s (ANF) request to investigate the two.

Justice Mulk observed that Ali Musa has not been accused of reallocating the ephedrine quota and asked ANF counsel Raja Shahid Abbasi if they had any evidence that the controlled chemical was used in the manufacture of narcotics.

Abbasi contended that controlled chemical was smuggled out of the country. He said that in 2010, the demand for ephedrine among all pharmaceutical companies in Pakistan stood at 5,310kg but in 2011, a single company was allotted a 6,500kg quota of the chemical.

The ANF prosecutor maintained that Tauqir Khan and Anjum Shah (among the accused in the case) were front-men on behalf of Ali Musa and Shahabuddin, respectively. He said that the statement of driver Ehsan Bari – who left Tauqir Khan at the Prime Minister House and proof of Ali Musa’s phone calls to Khushnud Lashari were on record.

Informing the court that further investigations against Ali Musa and Shahabuddin had yet to be conducted, the ANF unsuccessfully pleaded for the cancellation of their interim bails.

Shahabuddin reiterated his stance that the reason he was implicated in the case was to prevent him from becoming the prime minister of Pakistan and that he was not named in the case’s FIR and challans.

“My arrest warrant was issued the day I had submitted my nominations papers for the post of prime minister.”

Meanwhile, speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court, Ali Musa said he only trusted the apex court. He said that it was an easy task to level allegations against someone and that it was equally hard to prove them right.

“I approached the court because I knew that being the highest forum of justice, it will listen to my reasoning calmly – something which I could not do in front of the media,” he said, adding that he was hopeful that when the case is moved to the trial court, he would succeed.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine scam: SC confirms pre-arrest bails of Shahabuddin, Musa Gilani</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/450607/ephedrine-scam-sc-confirms-pre-arrest-bails-of-shahabuddin-musa-gilani</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/450607/ephedrine-scam-sc-confirms-pre-arrest-bails-of-shahabuddin-musa-gilani#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 12 Oct 12 07:29:00 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[sidrah.moiz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=450607</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Supreme Court rejected request of ANF prosecutor to investigate both Shahabuddin and Musa Gilani.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Friday confirmed the pre-arrest bail federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin and Ali Musa Gilani, son of former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani, in the Ephedrine quota scam, Express News reported.

Justice Nasirul Mulk was heading a three-member bench heard the pre-arrest bail petitions filed by Shahabuddin and Musa Gilani.

The Supreme Court rejected the request of Anti-Narcotics Forces (ANF) prosecutor to investigate both Shahabuddin and Musa Gilani.

The court observed that both accused had not been investigated when they were in ANF custody.

Presenting Shahabuddin’s case before the court, his counsel Sardar Ishaq argued that the statements of the approvers in the case – namely Dr Rasheed Jumma and Rizwan Ahmed Khan – should be disregarded since they were not recorded according to the procedure laid down in section 337 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). He further contended that the affidavits submitted before court were concocted by ANF officials.

‘My arrest warrant was issued the day I submitted my nomination papers’

Shahabuddin said that the reason he was implicated in the case was only to prevent him from becoming the prime minister of Pakistan. “My arrest warrant was issued the day I had submitted my nominations papers for the post of prime minister.”

He said that he was not named in the FIR of the case or all the challans issued in the case because he never mishandled the Ephedrine quota when he was the health minister.

‘I only trust Supreme Court’

Speaking to the media outside the Supreme Court, Musa Gilani said that he only trusted Supreme Court, because he knew that justice will be served to him.

He said that it was an easy task to level allegations against someone and that it was equally hard to prove it right.

“I approached the court because I knew that being the highest forum of justice, it will listen to my reasoning calmly – something which I could not do in front of the media.”

Musa Gilani said that he was hopeful that when the case is moved to the trial court he will succeed there, and also that the allegations against him were solely based on malafide intentions.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine case: SC takes up bail plans of Shahab, Musa</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/450442/ephedrine-case-sc-takes-up-bail-plans-of-shahab-musa</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/450442/ephedrine-case-sc-takes-up-bail-plans-of-shahab-musa#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 12 Oct 12 06:08:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=450442</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Ali Musa’s counsel claims ANF stretched provisions of the law in order to frame the case.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Supreme Court on Thursday took up the pre-arrest bail petitions of federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin and Ali Musa Gilani, son of former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani.

Presenting Shahabuddin’s case before the court, his counsel Sardar Ishaq argued that the statements of the approvers in the case – namely Dr Rasheed Jumma and Rizwan Ahmed Khan – should be disregarded since they were not recorded according to the procedure laid down in section 337 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). He further contended that the affidavits submitted before court were concocted by Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) officials.

Meanwhile, Ali Musa’s counsel Dr Khalid Ranjha maintained that ANF officials had stretched provisions of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act (CNSA) while framing the FIR and that the reallocation of the ephedrine quota did not violate any law. He added that allegations pertaining to the reallocation of the quota had not been mentioned in the FIR.

Responding to Ranjha’s arguments, Justice Tariq Pervez observed that ANF officials may have stretched the definition of CNSA’s section 9-C in order to make the allocation of the ephedrine quota a violation of the law. At the same time, Justice Nasirul Mulk instructed ANF official to produce Lahore High Court’s (LHC) orders declaring ephedrine a controlled chemical before the bench, along with copies of the review against this judgment pending adjudication in LHC’s Rawalpindi bench.

Ranjha claimed his client had been drawn into a battle between the civil government and ANF. He asserted that ANF wanted to ridicule Ali Musa due to previous litigation between the force and the government headed by his father.

Ranjha’s arguments were under way when the court adjourned proceedings till tomorrow.

In a similar case, the bench dismissed ANF’s petition that seeks cancellation of post-arrest bail given by LHC to Sattar Sohrani, a co-accused in the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine quota case: ANF fails to find evidence against ex-PM Gilani</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/448201/ephedrine-quota-case-anf-fails-to-find-evidence-against-ex-pm-gilani</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/448201/ephedrine-quota-case-anf-fails-to-find-evidence-against-ex-pm-gilani#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 07 Oct 12 05:23:30 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[qaiser.shirazi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=448201</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[ANF mentions former premier twice in new charge sheet.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The investigators may have been over-ambitious.


The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) team investigating the ephedrine quota case has included the name of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in the new charge-sheet, but has yet to find any concrete evidence of his involvement, sources say.

Sources say the team commander, Brigadier Fahim, and investigating officer SP Abid Zulfiqar spent 10 days reviewing the files containing minutes and other details of meetings chaired by the former premier, especially those held to discuss the issues relating to the ministry of health, but have failed to find any concrete evidence against Gilani.

The first three charge sheets did not mention the former premier but the fourth one names Gilani twice. It says that former provincial assembly lawmaker, Dr Javed Siddique, got direct approval from the former premier for 1,000 kg of the illegal chemical.

The new charge sheet also establishes a direct connection between the former prime minister and Touqeer Ali Khan, the alleged front man for Gilan’s son, Ali Musa.

Earlier, Daily Express had acquired a copy of the new charge sheet and Director Legal ANF Col (retd) Akhtar Abbas had said that the ANF team had enough proof about Gilani’s involvement from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and the Cabinet Secretariat.

On Saturday, however, he objected to the news story about Gilani’s involvement in the case.

When Abbas was informed that Daily Express has a copy of the new charge sheet that mentions the former premier, he said that he should be contacted before release of any news about the ephedrine case.  The first hearing on the new charge sheet will be held on October 18.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine case: Former premier hits out at govt over son’s arrest</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/448148/former-premier-hits-out-at-govt-over-son%e2%80%99s-arrest</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/448148/former-premier-hits-out-at-govt-over-son%e2%80%99s-arrest#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 07 Oct 12 05:02:35 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=448148</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Gilani says he moved out of the Presidency after his son’s arrest.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The former premier appears to have fallen out of favour with the top boss of the ruling party.


He is back from the Presidency, to his hometown of Multan.

In an abrupt tirade against his own party’s government, former prime minister and vice-chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Yousaf Raza Gilani, said he decided to leave the President House the day his son was arrested in ephedrine quota case.

Speaking to journalists at his residence in Lahore on Saturday, Gilani said he left the Presidency when things became intolerable for him. He didn’t say anything against President Asif Ali Zardari in particular, but was visibly irked by the government’s inaction over the arrest of his son Ali Musa Gilani, who was later released on bail.

“The government seemed helpless over the arrest of my son,” Gilani said, adding that Ali Musa was arrested while he (Gilani) was living at the Presidency.

The former premier said there were no political prisoners while he was the prime minster, but his son was made a political prisoner right after his departure from the office.

Gilani was still all praise for the president.

“I lived in the President House for four months and I have no complaint against the president,” he said, adding he was thankful to the president for hosting him.

Gilani said he had not informed President Zardari about his departure from the presidency. He said he has no contact with the President House at present, and is spending time with his family.

Media reports, however, add that Gilani is disappointed over the removal of bureaucrats, he had appointed, by Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf. Reports said he had also informed the president about his reservations.

At the press conference, Gilani said he still adheres to his stance that the president enjoys immunity, and that a letter to Swiss authorities without mentioning the immunity clause would amount to treason.

The former premier also hit out at the opposition saying it should have respected parliament and its opinion, and that parliament is dishonoured when its resolutions are not respected.

(With additional input from Agencies)

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7th, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>Former PM Gilani named as accused in ephedrine case</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/447769/former-pm-gilani-named-as-accused-in-ephedrine-case</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/447769/former-pm-gilani-named-as-accused-in-ephedrine-case#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 06 Oct 12 04:39:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Qaiser Sherazi]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=447769</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Fresh ANF charge sheet includes names of four new accused.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[In a new twist to the ephedrine quota scandal, former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani was named as an accused in a fresh charge sheet submitted by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), the Daily Express has learnt.

According to the charge sheet, Gilani himself had approved a quota of 1,000-kilogrammmes of ephedrine for Dr Javed Siddiqi, a former member of the National Assembly.

The charge sheet was submitted against Ali Musa Gilani, son of Gilani, and Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Minister for the Textile Industry. In addition the ANF has also secured arrest warrants for four new accused – Farhan Ahmed, Dr Azam, Anjum Shah and Ahmed Khan Lund – from a special judicial magistrate of the ANF court.

The court has already issued arrest warrants for former health secretary Khushnood Ali Lashari and Tauqir Ali Khan.

According to the charge sheet – a copy of which is available with Daily Express – Zafar Abbas Lak, Inspector General of the Motorway Police and former secretary of the Narcotics Control Board, has also been named as an accused.

In a statement affixed with the charge sheet, Lak confessed that in his former capacity he had transferred ANF officials, including an investigation team, to save Ali Musa’s skin in the ephedrine quota scandal.

For the first time, the ANF investigation team revealed in the charge sheet that a recommendation falsely attributed to Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi was also used in the ephedrine case. When Dr Asad Hafeez, then director general of health, reported to Sethi after allotting a quota of 1,000 kilogramme of ephedrine, she denied authorising or authoring any such recommendation.

Instead, she directed health ministry officials that the quota should not be allotted and that a transparent drug registration process should be followed.

In the charge sheet, ANF Commander Brigadier Fahim and Colonel Tauqeer said under oath that Shahabuddin had admitted on January 2, 2012 that he had approved the ephedrine quota under pressure from a National Assembly member – the confession had led to Shahabuddin’s name being added to the list of accused people.

According to the charge sheet, Ali Musa Gilani had two front-men – Tauqeer Ali Khan and Nisar Ahmed. Both sought favours in different ministries on behalf of Ali Musa. Shahabuddin, on the other hand had only one front-man, namely Anjum Shah.

Tauqeer Ali Khan had allegedly received Rs1million in bribe from Ziyad Khan aka Tabish Khan, a resident of Quetta, and got him permission to buy a bullet-proof vehicle in return.

It is also alleged that Ali Musa had demanded Rs100 million in bribes from a man identified as ‘a Pathan’ in the charge sheet, in return for a coalmine contract. The man, however, agreed to give Rs20 million. The deal broke down when the man refused to pay more.

The new charge sheet includes a statement of Dr Hafeez, in which he alleged that he issued the ephedrine quota under pressure from Ali Musa Gilani, Khushnud Lashari and Tauqeer Ali Khan.

It adds that the Berlex Labs in Multan and Danas Pharma were illegally issued quotas of 6,500 kilogrammes and 2,500 kilogrammes, respectively. Instead of supplying the chemical to Iraq and Afghanistan, they got official permission to sell the drug in the country. They sold the huge quantity of ephedrine acquired to drug traffickers and earned Rs 6billion as a result.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6th, 2012.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine case: Shahabuddin challenges freezing of bank accounts</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/447188/ephedrine-case-shahabuddin-challenges-freezing-of-bank-accounts</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/447188/ephedrine-case-shahabuddin-challenges-freezing-of-bank-accounts#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 05 Oct 12 04:50:56 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[mudassir.raja]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=447188</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Court admits plea; directs ANF to submit their response by Oct 10.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Federal Minister for Textile Industries Makhdoom Shahabuddin, an accused in the Ephedrine case, has challenged the order of freezing his bank accounts in the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) — a plea the court admitted.


On Thursday, Shahabuddin approached the LHC against the orders of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) blocking all of his 22 accounts in various banks after he was accused of allocating huge quotas of ephedrine in violation of rules and regulations.

Justice Sagheer Ahmed Qadri and Justice Ali Baqir Najafi conducted the preliminary hearing of the petition filed by Advocate Abdul Rasheed Sheikh and issued notices to the ANF directing the investigation force to submit their response by October 10, the next date of hearing.

After hearing the initial arguments from Advocate Sheikh, the bench summoned ANF’s special public prosecutor Chaudhry Zahid, and directed him to file the response from relevant authorities on the next date of hearing.

Citing ANF’s Rawalpindi regional director, assistant director assets investigations and managers of the 22 banks situated in Rahim Yar Khan as respondents, Shahabuddin challenged the legality of a letter issued to the banks by ANF on June 22, 2012, directing all the bank managers to provide details of all accounts owned by him and his relatives.

Earlier, the ANF froze his bank accounts and directed the bank managers to not let the former minister withdraw any money from the accounts.

In the written petition, the federal minister contended that under Section 37 of the Control of Narcotics Substance Act 1997, the ANF could only forfeit the bank accounts after getting permission from the relevant trial court.

He stated that in the letter written, ANF officials had only mentioned the sections seeking information of his accounts and could not have directed the banks to seize them.

The minister’s lawyer further argued that his client possessed an unblemished reputation in his constituency and all money and assets owned by him were legitimate as he had been a successful agriculturalist.

The petitioner prayed the court to declare the letter null and void.Admitting his plea, the court issued notices to the ANF, seeking a reply by October 10.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5th, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine scam: ANF freezes 22 of Shahbuddin's bank accounts</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/446806/ephedrine-scam-anf-freezes-22-bank-accounts-of-shahbuddin</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/446806/ephedrine-scam-anf-freezes-22-bank-accounts-of-shahbuddin#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 04 Oct 12 07:29:35 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=446806</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Shahabuddin challenges ANF's ruling in IHC, court seeks reply from ANF by Oct 10.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) froze 22 bank accounts  of former health minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin on Thursday and directed the bank managers to not let the former minister withdraw any money from the accounts, Express News reported. Shahbuddin is implicated in the Ephedrine quota scandal.

According to Express News correspondent Qaiser Shirazi, the ANF said that the money deposited in the 22 bank accounts was earned illegally by Shahabuddin by allotting quotas of Ephedrine.

The bank officials, complying with the orders of ANF have stopped transactions for the former minister.

Challenging ANF’s decision to freeze his accounts, Shahabuddin filed a petition in the Rawalpindi Bench of the Islamabad High Court, maintaining that the ANF cannot seize his accounts and that they should be activated.

Admitting his plea, the court issued notices to the ANF, seeking a reply by October 10.]]>
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				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/446806-MakhdoomShahabuddin-1349335303/446806-MakhdoomShahabuddin-1349335303.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
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			<title>Ephedrine scandal: Shahabuddin, Ali Musa’s interim bail extended</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/442481/ephedrine-scandal-shahabuddin-ali-musa%e2%80%99s-interim-bail-extended</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/442481/ephedrine-scandal-shahabuddin-ali-musa%e2%80%99s-interim-bail-extended#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 26 Sep 12 05:43:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=442481</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The former premier’s son is facing a case for his alleged involvement in the illegal allotment of an ephedrine quota.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Supreme Court has extended the interim bail of former health minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin and Ali Musa Gilani in the ephedrine quota allotment case till October 11.


A three-member bench led by Justice Nasirul Mulk had granted Ali Musa bail on September 14 against two surety bonds of Rs500,000 each.

The petitions filed by Ali Musa against the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) for contempt of court have also been linked with the same case.

Ali Musa was arrested on September 13 from the gate of the apex court by ANF officials, who were later reprimanded for their actions.

The Supreme Court had allowed Ali Musa’s counsel to file an application against the ANF’s conduct.

The former premier’s son is facing a case for his alleged involvement in the illegal allotment of an ephedrine quota.

During Tuesday’s hearing, the court declared that the request regarding the decision taken by the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench and the contempt of court case against ANF would be heard together.

While talking to reporters after the hearing, Ali Musa said he trusted and respected the decision of the court.

Shahabuddin and Ali Musa had moved the apex court for relief against the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench, which had dismissed their pre-arrest bail petitions on September 3.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine case: SC extends interim bail of Shahabuddin, Ali Musa</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/442152/ephedrine-case-sc-extends-interim-bail-of-shahabuddin-ali-musa</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/442152/ephedrine-case-sc-extends-interim-bail-of-shahabuddin-ali-musa#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 25 Sep 12 09:43:56 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=442152</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The Supreme Court extended the bail till October 11.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Supreme Court, while hearing the ephedrine quota allotment case, extended interim bail of former federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin and Ali Musa Gilani till October 11, Express News reported on Tuesday.

A three-member bench led by Justice Nasirul Mulk had accepted Ali Musa’s pre-arrest bail on September 14 against two surety bonds of Rs.0.5 million each.

The petitions filed by Ali Musa against the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) for contempt of court have also been linked in with the same case.

Ali Musa was arrested on September 13 from the gate of the country’s apex court by ANF officials, who were later reprimanded for their actions.

The Supreme Court had allowed Ali Musa’s counsel to file an application against ANF’s conduct.]]>
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			<title>Army has no influence in ANF matters: ANF chief</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/441978/army-has-no-influence-in-anf-matters-anf-chief</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/441978/army-has-no-influence-in-anf-matters-anf-chief#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 25 Sep 12 06:05:08 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[azam.khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=441978</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Force submits reply to petition alleging Gilani was manhandled by officials.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Pakistan Army has nothing to do with the activities of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), nor is the army involved in any case being investigated by the force, the body’s chief said on Monday.


ANF Director General (DG) Maj Gen Zaffar Iqbal said that military officers only served in the ANF on deputation. While talking to the media at the ANF’s head office, the DG said a misconception had been created by those implicated in the alleged misuse of ephedrine that the ANF was being managed or controlled by the Pakistan Army. He clarified that the force was entirely under the supervision of the federal government and was managed by the Ministry of Narcotics Control secretary.

He said over 90 people had been questioned so far in the ephedrine case and the scope of the investigation could spread in future. Currently investigations were underway in Balochistan where efforts were being made to arrest those buying the controlled substance and also possibly smuggling it to Iran, he added.

‘Harassing, manhandling’

Meanwhile, on Monday the ANF also filed a reply to the Supreme Court in response to a petition filed by the counsel for Ali Musa Gillani, son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani for allegedly harassing, manhandling and grossly insulting his client on his appearance for seeking bail in the ephedrine case.

Ali Musa was arrested on September 13 from the gate of the country’s apex court by ANF officials, who were later reprimanded for their actions. The Supreme Court allowed Ali Musa’s counsel to file an application against ANF’s conduct.

Defending the ANF, Advocate Raja Shahid Abbasi, contended that the Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench had rejected the bail application of Ali Musa in the ephedrine case on September 9 but he had managed to avoid the authorities for almost two weeks. Abbasi said that the ANF was not given any notice by the Supreme Court over Ali Musa’s bail application.

“Ali Musa’s contention that he was manhandled or insulted is incorrect as the ANF party treated him strictly in accordance with the law while arresting him. In fact, once he denied surrendering or coming out of his vehicle, he was made to come out of his vehicle and was shifted to an ANF vehicle,” Abbasi said.

The reply added that the accused was arrested as per law citing a provision that clearly allows use of force by police officers during an arrest and in the case of resistance to use all means necessary.

A three-member bench led by Justice Nasirul Mulk had accepted Ali Musa’s pre-arrest bail on September 14 against two surety bonds of Rs.0.5 million each which will be heard by the same bench on September 25.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine case: Use of force to arrest Gilani legal, ANF tells SC</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/441703/ephedrine-case-use-of-force-to-arrest-gilani-legal-anf-tells-sc</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/441703/ephedrine-case-use-of-force-to-arrest-gilani-legal-anf-tells-sc#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 24 Sep 12 15:28:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=441703</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Former prime minister's son had alleged that ANF officials harassed him when he came to appear before SC to seek bail.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) on Monday submitted a reply to the Supreme Court in response to a petition filed by Ali Musa Gilani's counsel for allegedly harassing, manhandling and insulting his client when he appeared before the court seeking bail in the ephedrine case.

The ANF officials had arrested Gilani on September 13 near the apex court’s gate. The Supreme Court had reprimanded the officials for their action and allowed Gilani’s counsel to file an application against this conduct.

Defending the ANF, advocate Raja Shahid Abbasi contended that the Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench had rejected Gilani’s bail application in the case on September 9, but he subsequently went into hiding for almost two weeks.

Abbasi added that the Supreme Court had not given any notice to the ANF over the bail application.

“Gilani’s contention that he was manhandled or insulted is incorrect as the ANF party treated him strictly in accordance with the law while arresting him. In fact, only after he denied to surrender or come out of his vehicle, he was made to come out of his car and shifted in the ANF vehicle,” counsel for the ANF maintained.

Calling the arrest lawful, the reply mentioned a clause that permits use of force by police officers while arresting someone.

Abbasi urged the court to dismiss the petition.

A three-member bench, headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk, had accepted Gilani’s pre-arrest bail on September 14 against two surety bonds of Rs0.5 million each which will be heard by the same bench on September 25.]]>
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			<title>Was granted bail on merit, SC not doing me a favour: Ali Musa Gilani</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/437194/was-granted-bail-on-merit-sc-not-doing-me-a-favour-ali-musa-gilani</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/437194/was-granted-bail-on-merit-sc-not-doing-me-a-favour-ali-musa-gilani#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 15 Sep 12 10:38:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Ema Anis]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=437194</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Ali Musa says the ANF has become too personal against him in the Ephedrine quota case.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Ali Musa Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, said that he was granted bail by the Supreme Court in the Ephedrine quota case on merit and the apex court had not done him a “favour”.

Speaking to the media on Saturday, Ali Musa said that the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), which had arrested him at the Supreme Court gate yesterday before he could submit a pre-arrest bail application, was becoming too personal against him.

“They held a press conference today and said that they did not want me to become a hero. I’m not here to become a hero. How can a government worker give such a political statement?” he said while lashing out against the anti-narcotics body.

He added that whatever happened on the Supreme Court’s premises yesterday was in contempt of the court and was also in his contempt. “I will move a privilege motion against the contempt done against me, and have submitted a contempt of court application as well.”

Ali Musa also clarified that there was no recovery on him in the case, even if all the allegations against him are proven correct. “The main beneficiaries have been spared who are moving about freely.”]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine case: After high drama, SC grants bail to Ali Musa</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/437059/ephedrine-case-after-high-drama-sc-grants-bail-to-ali-musa</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/437059/ephedrine-case-after-high-drama-sc-grants-bail-to-ali-musa#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 15 Sep 12 04:57:20 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=437059</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Bench admonishes ANF officials for arresting ex-PM’s son on court premises.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) on Friday came under judicial scrutiny for overstepping its limits.


Ali Musa Gilani, the main accused in the ephedrine case, was arrested by the ANF, brought to the apex court and granted bail – all within a couple of hours in a series of events that usually take days if not weeks.

Heading a three-judge bench, Justice Nasirul Mulk granted bail to Ali Musa Gilani, son of former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani, till September 25 against surety bonds of Rs0.5 million.

Ali Musa, who is also a member of the National Assembly, was arrested by the ANF at the Supreme Court gate before he could submit an application for pre-arrest bail.

ANF officials dragged him out of his car, manhandled and handcuffed him as he tried to reach the court, officials present at the scene told The Express Tribune.

The bench took serious note of Ali Musa’s arrest from the court premises and ordered the ANF to present him within half an hour. The bench summoned the ANF officials and censured them.

Sources told The Express Tribune that the operation to arrest Ali Musa was supervised by ANF Director General Brigadier Faheem and investigation officer of the case Abid Zulfiqar.

Brig Faheem had told The Express Tribune on Thursday that Ali Musa was absconder in the case and the ANF could even summon his father for questioning.

Advocate Faisal Chaudhry, a member of Ali Musa’s legal team, said the court could initiate proceedings against the ANF for harassing his client.

Chaudhry said they would seek legal remedy against ANF’s “highhandedness”. “The apex court has also allowed us to file a separate application in this regard.”

After the court proceedings, Colonel Akhtar Hussain, legal director of the ANF, justified to the media the arrest of Ali Musa. He said the former premier’s son was arrested not on the court premises. It is the first time the son of an influential person was treated like any ordinary accused, he added.

Ali Musa reposes trust in court

Speaking on the court premises after he was granted bail, Ali Musa said that he had faith in the Supreme Court, but not in the ANF.

“I respect the courts and used to think that everyone else also does. But today uniformed men committed contempt of court while being on the Supreme Court premises,” he added.

Ali Musa said that he had come to the court alone, though he could also “bring a lot of people who had voted for him.”

While showing the media a bruise on his leg, Ali Musa said that the ANF officials manhandled him and harassed him.

Asked why he wanted to submit his plea after Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Ali Musa said he wanted to come prepared before the court and needed to consult his lawyer on his petition.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15th, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine case: Ali Musa Gilani seeks pre-arrest bail</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/436370/ephedrine-case-ali-musa-gilani-seeks-pre-arrest-bail</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/436370/ephedrine-case-ali-musa-gilani-seeks-pre-arrest-bail#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 14 Sep 12 05:26:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=436370</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Gilani invoked the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court against a Lahore High Court (LHC) verdict.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[In an effort to seek pre-arrest bail, the son of former premier and an accused in the ephedrine case, Ali Musa Gilani, moved the apex court on Thursday.


Gilani invoked the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court against a Lahore High Court (LHC) verdict which denied him pre-arrest bail in the ephedrine case.

He is accused of pressuring officials of the health ministry in 2010 to allocate excess quota of ephedrine.

Filing the pre-arrest bail, Khalid Ranjha, counsel for Gilani, said that his client’s name does not figure in the FIRs, nor in any charge sheets, submitted by the prosecution before the court.

“It is needless to add that even though there is no evidence of incriminating nature against [his] client, warrants have been obtained out of sheer malice, ill will, and by keeping the court deliberately in the dark”, Ranjha argued.

Despite the absence of evidence, his client’s arrest warrants were obtained by the investigating agency on June 21, the counsel said, adding this was an effort to defame Gilani “in the eyes of his electorate.”

Ranjha said that his client received protective bail from the Sindh High Court on July 2, till July 16.

He alleged that the investigating agency made two principal accused, Rizwan Ahmed Khan and Dr Rasheed Juma, approvers to rope in his client.

Requesting the court for interim relief, Ranjha said there is no evidence against his client and his arrest has been sought for political reasons.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>SC grants Ali Musa bail in Ephedrine case</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/436535/ephedrine-case-anf-arrests-ali-musa-gilani</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/436535/ephedrine-case-anf-arrests-ali-musa-gilani#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 14 Sep 12 05:02:12 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[sidrah.moiz]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=436535</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[SC grants Ali Musa bail till Septem­ber 25, who was earlier arrested from SC premises.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s son Ali Musa Gilani on Friday was arrested, brought to court and given bail by the court; all within a couple of hours in a series of events that usually takes days if not months.

Heading a three-member bench, Justice Nasirul Mulk granted Ali Musa bail till September 25.

Ali Musa was arrested by the ANF on the premises of the Supreme Court before he could submit a plea seeking a pre-arrest bail, however, the court issued orders to the ANF and Ali Musa was brought back to the court within half an hour.

The ANF officials present there had pulled him out of his car and shackled him when he showed resistance.

During the hearing, the Supreme Court inquired from the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) as to what duty they were performing on the premises of the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court had summoned the ANF personnel who had arrested him.

I have faith in the Supreme Court, not ANF: Ali Musa

Speaking on the premises of the Supreme Court after his plea was admitted by the court, Ali Musa said that he had faith in the Supreme Court, but not the ANF.

He said, “I respect the courts and used to think that everyone else does, too. But, today, the camera’s eye witnessed that uniformed men committed contempt of court while being in the vicinity of the Supreme Court.”

Ali Musa said that he had come to the court alone, while he, too, could “bring a lot of people who had voted for him.”

While showing the media a bruise he had received on his leg, Ali Musa said that the ANF officials manhandled him and harassed him,

The former prime minister’s son added that he did not trust ANF, because he had requested several times to them to change his investigative officer. “The investigative officer has submitted an affidavit against me in the case, so how will he prove his own affidavit wrong?”

When asked why he wanted to submit his plea after Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Ali Musa responded that he wanted to come prepared before the court and needed to consult his lawyer regarding his petition.

Ali Musa invoked the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court against the LHC verdict which denied him a pre-arrest bail in the Ephedrine case on September 3.

Ali Musa, son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, is accused of pressuring officials of the Health Ministry in 2010 to allocate a quota of controlled chemical ephedrine to two different pharmaceutical companies.

Recently, the Supreme Court granted pre-arrest bail in the same case to Federal Minister for Textile Industry Makhdoom Shahabuddin till September 25.

Filing for a pre-arrest bail under Article 185(3) of the Constitution, Ali Musa’s counsel Khalid Ranjaha submitted that neither his client was named in the FIR nor in any of the challans submitted by the prosecution before the court.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine scam: Court orders ANF to submit evidence against former DG health</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/436303/ephedrine-scam-court-orders-anf-to-submit-evidence-against-former-dg-health</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/436303/ephedrine-scam-court-orders-anf-to-submit-evidence-against-former-dg-health#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 14 Sep 12 02:19:01 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[mudassir.raja]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=436303</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Accused maintains he allocated the controlled chemical in accordance with rules like his predecessor.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday directed the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) to produce evidence within two weeks against a former director general (DG) health, an accused in the ephedrine quota case.


Dr Asad Hafeez, who was accused of illegally allocating excess quota for ephedrine, had requested the LHC for post-arrest bail.

Hafeez’s lawyer, Muhammad Ishaq Khan requested the court to grant his client bail as he had allowed the conversion of 2,400kg ephedrine strictly in accordance with the rules.

Justice Shahid Hameed Dar and Justice Mahmood Maqbol Bajwa of the LHC’s Rawalpindi bench issued notices to  ANF and directed it to produce the relevant record in court. The former DG said his 2010 order was not unprecedented as his predecessor, Dr Rasheed Jumma an accused-turned-approver in the same case, had allocated the controlled chemical to two pharmaceutical companies.

Dr Hafeez said ANF investigators had no proof he obtained monetary benefits for allowing the conversions as DG health.

Raising objections over the delay in the registration of the case, the accused doctor said he had notified ANF about the conversion so they could ensure the drug was not misused but the force filed the case after nearly two years.

Dr Hafeez argued that he suffered from a heart ailment and backache and he could not live in jail without proper medication. He requested the court to grant him bail as he would attend court proceedings and co-operate with the investigation agency.

The trial court had rejected the bail plea of Dr Hafeez on September 6.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14th, 2012.

&nbsp;]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine case: Ali Musa Gilani approaches SC for pre-arrest bail</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/436119/ephedrine-case-ali-musa-gilani-approaches-sc-for-pre-arrest-bail</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/436119/ephedrine-case-ali-musa-gilani-approaches-sc-for-pre-arrest-bail#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 13 Sep 12 15:50:00 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=436119</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Lawyer says Ali Musa's arrest is being sought for political reasons.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Following in the footsteps of Federal Minister Makhdoom Shahbuddin, Ali Musa Gilani moved the Supreme Court on Thursday to seek interim relief against a Lahore High Court (LHC) order in the Ephedrine quota case.

Ali Musa invoked the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court against the LHC verdict which denied him a pre-arrest bail in the Ephedrine case on September 3. Ali Musa, son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, is accused of pressuring officials of the Health Ministry in 2010 to allocate a quota of controlled chemical ephedrine to two different pharmaceutical companies.

Recently, the Supreme Court has granted pre-arrest bail in the same case to Federal Minister for Textile Industry Makhdoom Shahabuddin till September 25.

Filing for a pre-arrest bail under Article 185(3) of the Constitution, Ali Musa’s counsel Khalid Ranjaha submitted that neither his client was named in the FIR nor in any of the challans submitted by the prosecution before the court.

“It is needless to add that even though there is no evidence of incriminating nature against my client, warrants have been obtained out of sheer malice, ill will and by keeping the court deliberately in the dark,” he argued.

Ranjaha further said that the FIR was being used as a rouse to arrest his client and thereby to defame him in the eyes of his electorate and demolish the family image. He contended that although there was no evidence to connect the petitioner with the impugned FIR, the investigating agency was out to nab the petitioner. Despite there being no evidence, the petitioner’s warrants of arrest were obtained on June 21, 2012, he added.

Requesting the court for interim relief, Ranjaha said that there was no evidence against his client in connection to the ephedrine quota allocation but his arrest has been sought for political reasons. “Under the circumstances, it is prayed that special leave to appeal may very graciously be granted against order of the LHC of September 3”, Ranjaha submitted.]]>
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			<title>SC grants Shahabuddin bail in ephedrine scam</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/435903/sc-grants-shahabuddin-bail-in-ephedrine-scam</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/435903/sc-grants-shahabuddin-bail-in-ephedrine-scam#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 13 Sep 12 04:33:34 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[azam.khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=435903</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The minister filed bail application with the apex court following rejection by the LHC’s Rawalpindi bench.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted pre-arrest bail to Federal Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin in the ephedrine quota case.


A three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk, heard the bail application filed by Shahabuddin. He filed an appeal in the apex court following rejection of his bail petition by the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench.

Shahabuddin’s counsel Sardar Ishaque argued before the bench that the illegal ephedrine quota had been allotted by former director general of health Dr Rasheed Juma.

The counsel claimed that his client was named in the case eight months after the registration of the FIR.

Ishaque alleged that the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) pressured Rizwan Ahmad, the owner of a pharmaceutical company, into becoming an approver.

He claimed that his client was the complainant who initiated the ephedrine case. At this juncture, Justice Tariq Perez inquired as to how Shahabuddin initiated the case as the court action was taken following a notice in parliament.

The bench later granted Shahabuddin bail against a Rs500,000 security and issued a notice to the ANF to be present at the next hearing on September 25.

SC directs ANF against harassment

In a separate hearing on Wednesday, a three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, asked ANF DG Brigadier Faheem not to harass anyone unnecessarily.

At the same time, the bench directed Hanif Abbasi and other pharmaceutical companies to remove posters and banners against the ANF.

Around 28 pharmaceutical companies appealed that the ANF was harassing them. Abbasi’s lawyer Mustafa Kundal along with the pharmaceutical companies’ counsel Justice (retd) Tariq Mehmood informed the court of the ANF’s alleged rude conduct with their clients.

Hearing their appeal, Justice Chaudhry asked the ANF not to overstep its jurisdiction and ensure the investigation process was transparent.

He questioned that why cases were registered against only seven firms out of 28 pharmaceutical companies shortlisted by the ANF.

In response, Brig Faheem said the ANF would probe other companies as well, assuring the court that the investigation would be carried out in accordance with the law.

Unhappy with ANF’s briefing, Justice Chaudhry remarked that the process should have been initiated five years ago. The court will take up the matter again on September 22.

Meanwhile, talking to The Express Tribune, Brig Faheem said that former premier Yousaf Raza GIlani may be summoned for investigation, adding that the latter’s son Ali Musa Gilani was an absconder in the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 13th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>SC admits Shahabuddin's plea seeking pre-arrest bail</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/435368/sc-admits-shahabuddins-plea-seeking-pre-arrest-bail</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/435368/sc-admits-shahabuddins-plea-seeking-pre-arrest-bail#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 12 Sep 12 07:06:14 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=435368</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[SC admits plea after LHC's Rawalpindi Bench dismissed it.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Admitting Federal Minister for Textile Industries Makhdoom Shahabuddin’s plea seeking a pre-arrest bail in the Ephedrine quota scam, the Supreme Court adjourned the hearing till September 25, Express News reported Wednesday.

The court issued notices to the Anti-Narcotics Force in this regard.

The federal minister on Monday moved the Supreme Court for relief against the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench order, which dismissed his pre-arrest bail petition.

Heading a three-member bench, Justice Nasirul Mulk heard the petition.

Shahabuddin’s lawyer Wakeel Sardar Ishaq told the court that the Ephedrine quota was not allotted by Shahabuddin, but former director-general health Rasheed Jumma, while a case against Shahabuddin was filed after eight months.

The court ordered Shahabuddin to submit two surety bonds of Rs500,000 each.

On September 3, the Rawalpindi bench of the LHC dismissed the pre-arrest bail petition, declaring that the petitioner was not entitled to such compensation and therefore the court would not be inclined to grant him relief.

Asserting his innocence in the scandal, Shahabuddin argued that neither his name was mentioned in the FIR nor in first challans.

Shahabuddin is accused of pressuring officials of the health ministry in 2010 to allocate huge quotas of controlled chemical ephedrine to two different pharmaceutical companies.]]>
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			</item><item>
			<title>Ephedrine case: International panel arrives in Pakistan</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/435202/ephedrine-case-international-panel-arrives-in-pakistan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/435202/ephedrine-case-international-panel-arrives-in-pakistan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 12 Sep 12 05:49:01 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[arif.rana]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=435202</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[A group of senior officials of the Ministry of Narcotic Control (MoNC) and Foreign Affairs received the INCB panel.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A two-member delegation of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) arrived here for a five-day visit at the start of the week with an investigation of the ephedrine scam on top of its agenda.


Sources told The Express Tribune that a group of senior officials of the Ministry of Narcotic Control (MoNC) and Foreign Affairs received the INCB panel, headed by Li Unzhou, at the Islamabad International airport.  A senior MoNC official said, “We are working on different meetings with the panel during its stay in Pakistan to let it know about the conspired diversion of ephedrine to other countries from Pakistan and what measures are being now taken to check such diversion in the future.”

The visiting delegation held a preliminary meeting will have meetings over the next four days. INCB has expressed concern over the massive diversion of ephedrine from Pakistan to Iran and other countries in recent years.

It raised the issue with the government in the last quarter of 2011.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 12th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine case: Makhdoom Shahabuddin moves SC over pre-arrest bail</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/434449/ephedrine-case-makhdoom-shahabuddin-moves-sc-over-pre-arrest-bail</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/434449/ephedrine-case-makhdoom-shahabuddin-moves-sc-over-pre-arrest-bail#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 10 Sep 12 18:59:14 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=434449</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[With the rejection of the pre-arrest bail petition, Shahabuddin’s interim bails expired on Monday.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Federal minister for textile industries Makhdoom Shahabuddin on Monday moved the Supreme Court for relief against the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench order, which dismissed his pre-arrest bail petition in the ephedrine quota scandal case last week.

On September 3, the Rawalpindi bench of the LHC dismissed the pre-arrest bail petition, declaring that the petitioner was not entitled to such compensation and therefore the court would not be inclined to grant him the relief.

With the rejection of the pre-arrest bail petition, Shahabuddin’s interim bails expired on Monday.

Asserting his innocence in the scandal, Shahabuddin argued that neither his name was mentioned in the FIR nor in first challans.

In the leave petition, filed through Sardar Muhammad Ishaq Khan, the federal minister for textile accused the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) authorities of framing him just to deter him from contesting the elections for the slot of Pakistan’s premiership.

Shahabuddin contended that he is absolutely innocent and has no concern whatsoever with the allegations. He further argued that during the nine-month long investigation, his name was not mentioned in any of challans in any category - which he says is sufficient proof to stop any further inquiry into the case.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine case: ANF arrests pharma owner, recovers 500kg of drug</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/433887/ephedrine-case-anf-arrests-pharma-owner-recovers-500kg-of-drug</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/433887/ephedrine-case-anf-arrests-pharma-owner-recovers-500kg-of-drug#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 09 Sep 12 09:53:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=433887</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The accused faces charges of having obtained 500kg ephedrine illegally.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) arrested the chief executive officer (CEO) of a pharmaceutical company and recovered large amounts of Ephedrine, Express News reported on Sunday.

ANF officials said that the force managed to arrest the owner of the company, who was wanted in the ephedrine chemical case, in a raid and shifted him to an undisclosed location.

The accused faces charges of having obtained 500kg ephedrine illegally, which was recovered from him during the raid.

An FIR was registered against the owner on July 25.

ANF officials said that search operations were being conducted for others wanted in the case.]]>
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			</item><item>
			<title>Ephedrine case: Hanif Abbasi granted 6-day interim bail</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/432714/ephedrine-case-hanif-abbasi-granted-6-day-interim-bail</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/432714/ephedrine-case-hanif-abbasi-granted-6-day-interim-bail#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 06 Sep 12 20:38:55 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=432714</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Hanif Abbasi has granted bail in a case of illegal sale of 500 kilograms of ephedrine to smugglers.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Lahore High Court (LHC) here on Thursday granted pre-arrest interim bail to Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) National Assembly member (MNA) Hanif Abbasi till September 12 while hearing a case of the alleged illegal sale of 500 kilograms of ephedrine to smugglers.


Justice Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa and Justice Ali Baqir Najafi of LHC’s Rawalpindi bench directed the MNA to submit two surety bonds, each worth Rs100,000, and asked the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) to share details from their investigation so far with the court at the next hearing.

MNA Abbasi had obtained a protective bail from the Sindh High Court that was due to expire on September 7 (today).

In his bail plea, Abbasi maintained that his company used the 500kg ephedrine quota to manufacture De-ASM 30mg tablets, filing an application with the federal health ministry in June 2010.

The MNA claimed that ANF had the tablets examined by the federal drug laboratory and their report verified that the ephedrine-derived medicine was registered with the health ministry.

ANF Rawalpindi registered an FIR on July 21, accusing Gray’s Pharmaceuticals of obtaining a 500kg ephedrine consignment and selling it off to drug smugglers. The FIR alleged that the company forged sale deeds to show that the tablets manufactured using the ephedrine were sold to different distribution companies.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine scam: ANF to investigate former PM Gilani</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/432404/ephedrine-scam-anf-to-investigate-former-pm-gilani</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/432404/ephedrine-scam-anf-to-investigate-former-pm-gilani#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 06 Sep 12 07:55:59 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[mudassir.raja]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=432404</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Gilani transferred secretary of Narcotics Control Ministry, posted him as DG-FIA for 'special tasks'.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) has decided to investigate former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in the Ephedrine quota scam over charges of illegally posting a former secretary of narcotics ministry as the acting Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Express News reported Thursday.

Express News quoted sources as saying that Gilani had transferred the secretary of the Ministry of Narcotics Control, Zafar Abbas Lak, and posted him as DG-FIA for “special tasks”.

The sources said that Lak was promoted from a Grade-21 post to a Grade-22 post within a few hours. He had oversight in the investigations of MNA Ali Musa Gilani in connection with the Ephedrine case.

The ANF nominated Lak as an accused in the case and acquired permission for his arrest from the trial court hearing the case today. It also sought minutes of the meeting and copies of decisions taken during Lak’s posting from the Establish Dvision.

PML-N MNA granted pre-arrest bail

In a separate case, the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court granted an interim pre-arrest bail to Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Hanif Abbasi for his involvement in misusing 500kgs of ephedrine allotted to his company, Gray Pharmaceutical.

Abbasi submitted surety bonds of Rs100,000 each to the court. The bail is valid till September 12, 2012.

During the hearing, the ANF representatives informed the court that Abbasi’s company did not have any record of where the drug quota was used.

Justice Mahmood Maqobool Bajwa and Justice Ali Baqir Najafi were hearing the case.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine scandal: Investigators asked not to harass accused</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/432251/ephedrine-scandal-investigators-asked-not-to-harass-accused</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/432251/ephedrine-scandal-investigators-asked-not-to-harass-accused#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 06 Sep 12 05:14:00 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[mudassir.raja]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=432251</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Owners and employees of pharma companies had been ‘terrified’.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Courts on Wednesday asked the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officers to not harass owners of pharmaceutical companies and former secretary of narcotics ministry Zafar Abbas Lak, a key suspect in the ephedrine scandal.


The Supreme Court, hearing the case at its Quetta registry, asked the ANF and NAB authorities to submit a comprehensive report by September 12. Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, however, told authorities to refrain from “embarrassing” owners of pharmaceutical companies implicated in the case.

Hearing a petition filed by PML-N leader and MNA Hanif Abbasi, another key accused in the case, the court was told that owners and employees of these companies had been “terrified.”  Addressing ANF’s counsel Justice (retd) Tariq Mehmood, Justice Chaudhry stressed on the need to carry out transparent investigations and warned against “needlessly terrifying anyone.”

In another hearing held at the Lahore High Court on the same issue, a two-member Rawalpindi bench issued notices to ANF authorities to respond to Lak’s petition in which he has accused the force of harassing him. The court directed the ANF officer investigating the case to submit a written reply by September 20.

Lak, who is now the Inspector General of Motorways Police, maintained earlier that he was summoned by ANF investigators even though he has nothing to do with the illegal allocation of ephedrine to local companies. He also lamented why officers wanted to place him on the exit control list (ECL) and urged the court to drop any further proceedings against him.

Lak argues he is innocent since he was appointed after the case, regarding the illegal allocation of ephedrine, was registered in October. Former director of Danas Pharmaceutical Company on the other hand alleges Lak’s appointment was made to hush up the case.

Meanwhile, the bench also issued notices to the interior secretary to respond to another related petition filed by ANF by September 20.  ANF commander Brigadier Faheem Ahmed said they have moved the ministry to place as many as 15 accused, including Ali Musa Gilani, Makhdoom Shahbuddin, Zafar Lak and Khushnood Lashari on the ECL, but no action has been taken by the department so far. Ahmed fears the accused will flee the country to evade arrests.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6th, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>Sensitive issue: UN panel wants ephedrine case update</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/431565/sensitive-issue-un-panel-wants-ephedrine-case-update</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/431565/sensitive-issue-un-panel-wants-ephedrine-case-update#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 05 Sep 12 05:16:27 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[arif.rana]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=431565</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[INCB panel to visit Islamabad between September 10 and 15; govt wants it delayed.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Rejecting a request to delay its visit for a couple of months, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) approached Pakistan’s acting permanent representative to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Raza Bashir Tarar to arrange a briefing for the UN panel on the ephedrine case, during its visit to Islamabad between September 10 and 15.


Requesting anonymity, a senior government official told the Express Investigation Cell (EIC) that the INCB had expressed grave concerns over confusing signals originating from Islamabad, regarding its panel’s visit to investigate what transpired in the diversion of the ephedrine drug from Pakistan in 2011 and 2012, to Iran and other countries.

The INCB asked Ambassador Tarar to press the government to comply with it and ensure the panel holds productive meetings on the scandal with government concerned officials during its visit.

The INCB had announced the visit of its 3-member panel to Islamabad around three months ago to review the investigations conducted in the ephedrine case, but the government seems reluctant to welcome the panel on the grounds that its officials were unavailable for any briefing on the issue. It desired the UN panel to delay its visit for a few months.

Ambassador Tarar is said to have quickly moved to convey INCB’s concerns to the relevant authorities in Islamabad.

The drug panel took up the matter with the Foreign Office, demanding it to press the concerned departments that they, instead of resisting, should cooperate with the UN to help its panel get the required information on the issue.

Cognizant of the sensitivity of the matter, the Foreign Office conveyed the INCB’s concerns to the relevant ministries and asked them to assist the UN panel to avoid any embarrassment for Pakistan at the international level.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine case: Pre-arrest bail to Gilani, Shahabuddin denied</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/430840/ephedrine-case-pre-arrest-bail-to-gilani-shahabuddin-denied</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/430840/ephedrine-case-pre-arrest-bail-to-gilani-shahabuddin-denied#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 04 Sep 12 05:07:25 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[mudassir.raja]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=430840</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Court dismisses their pleas; says both need to be in custody for questioning.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench on Monday dismissed the pre-arrest bail pleas of two PPP MNAs in the case of alleged illegal allocation of ephedrine quotas, saying that both accused appear to have misused their positions.


Justices Khawaja Imtiaz Ahmed and Ibadur Rehman Lodhi decided that the extraordinary relief of pre-arrest bail could not be extended to former federal Health Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin and MNA Ali Musa Gilani at this stage of the case.

In their verdict, the adjudicators observed that the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) needed custody of the two accused MNAs for further interrogations as a key witness, former Health Department director general (DG) Dr Rasheed Jumma, had accused the two of pressurising him to allocate 9,000 kg of ephedrine to two pharmaceutical companies.

Shahbuddin, now the federal minister for textile industries, has maintained in his bail plea that he was actually the complainant in the case as he had ordered the inquiry into the quotas during his tenure as health minister.

Under the rules, only DG health was authorised to allocate the ephedrine quotas and Shahabuddin claimed he had never granted any quota to any company.

Ali Musa Gilani, the son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, argued in his bail plea that he was roped in the case only to be maligned by the ANF, as the investigators had no evidence against him.

On the other hand, the ANF maintained that accused-turned-state witness Dr Rasheed Jumma had accused the two MNAs of pressurising him to allocate the quota and admitted to succumbing to their pressure to keep his job.

The investigators further stated that another approver, former Danas Pharmaceutical director Rizwan Khan, said the ephedrine was smuggled to Iran and sold for Rs7 billion, adding that the chemical was not used to manufacture any medicines.

Meanwhile, the ANF filed a petition with the LHC asking for the names of all the accused in the ephedrine case to be placed on the exit control list.

Apart from Gilani and Shahbuddin, the accused include former health secretary Khushnud Akhtar Lashari, former Health DG Dr Asad Hafeez, former drug controller Sheikh Ansaar and the owners of Danas and Berlex Pharmaceutical companies.

In the meantime, the trial court ordered the release of two other accused after the ANF said no evidence could be found against the two men, Tanveer Sherazi and Abdul Waheed.

These men were the distributors of medicines in Multan and were accused of preparing fake distribution documents showing the obtained ephedrine was properly consumed.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4th, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine case: Qadir Gilani criticises rejection of his brother’s, Shahabuddin’s bail pleas</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/430667/ephedrine-case-qadir-gilani-criticises-rejection-of-his-brother%e2%80%99s-shahabuddin%e2%80%99s-bail-pleas</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/430667/ephedrine-case-qadir-gilani-criticises-rejection-of-his-brother%e2%80%99s-shahabuddin%e2%80%99s-bail-pleas#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 03 Sep 12 15:43:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=430667</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Bail pleas would not have been rejected if fathers of the accused were holding courts, maintains Qadir.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[On a day  when newly elected MNA Abdul Qadir Gilani took his oath, criticised the cancellation of bail pleas of his brother Ali Musa Gilani and Textile Industries Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin in the Ephedrine quota case on Monday.

In a hint towards the Dr Arsalan Iftikhar case, Gilani said that the bails of Musa Gilani and Shahabuddin would not have been rejected if the courts were being held by the fathers of the accused, Express News reported.

Qadir, son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani who was disqualified by the Supreme Court in a contempt court, also criticised the judicial system of the country.

He maintained that his father, who had strived for the supremacy of the parliament, was ousted ‘unconstitutionally, undemocratically and immorally’.

“But those who had celebrated the ouster of my father should feel ashamed now as I am here in this august House in the form of Yousaf Raza Gilani,” he commented, adding that his father was the only prime minister who had attended most of the Parliament House proceedings.

He urged the parliamentarians to unite to safeguard the supremacy of the parliament and avoid any desecration to it.

“We have to protect its supremacy. Is there any other institution superior to parliament?” he asked in his maiden speech after he took oath as an MNA. Gilani had been elected from NA-151 Multan – a seat vacated by the disqualification of his father.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine quota case: LHC rejects plea to dismiss approvers’ statements</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/428345/ephedrine-quota-case-lhc-rejects-plea-to-dismiss-approvers%e2%80%99-statements</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/428345/ephedrine-quota-case-lhc-rejects-plea-to-dismiss-approvers%e2%80%99-statements#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 30 Aug 12 05:48:51 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[mudassir.raja]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=428345</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Reserves verdict on the bail plea of Ali Musa Gilani and Shahabuddin.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Lahore High Court here on Wednesday set aside an application by Ali Musa Gilani challenging the legal status of two approvers in the ephedrine quota allocation case and reserved its verdict on the bail plea of Gilani and Textile Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin.


The LHC’s Rawalpindi bench dismissed the application filed by the son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani , praying to the court to discard statements made by former director general (DG) health Dr Rasheed Jumma and a former director of a pharmaceutical company, Rizwan Khan.

Challenging the legal status of the two accused, who later turned approvers in the case, Advocate Dr Khalid Ranjah said under procedural laws the approvers should have been arrested and sent to jail on judicial custody before they consented to turn into approvers.

The court while dismissing Gilani’s plea observed that the LHC had already allowed the two approvers to appear before the trial court and record their statements as witnesses.

Arguing for the bail pleas, the lawyers of Musa Gilani and Shahbuddin said ephedrine was not included in the list of narcotics and the case could not be investigated by the ANF  and that the ANF had no other evidence other than the statements of the two approvers, which were given under duress.

The lawyers also argued that other pharmaceutical companies were granted larger allocations of ephedrine but no action had been taken against those companies, adding that it was a politically motivated case since the ANF obtained arrest warrants for Shahabuddin the day he was to submit nomination papers to become prime minister.

On the other hand, ANF prosecutors said there were numerous witnesses against Musa and Shahbuddin. The court reserved judgment in the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine Case: Bail plea hearing suspended till 29th</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/427194/ephedrine-case-bail-plea-hearing-suspended-till-29th</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/427194/ephedrine-case-bail-plea-hearing-suspended-till-29th#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 28 Aug 12 05:09:12 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=427194</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[An anti-narcotics court defers bail plea hearing of former DG health till August 30 in absence of lawyers.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A lawyers’ strike on Monday prevented the Lahore High Court from hearing the bail pleas of Ali Musa Gilani, the son of deposed prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, and Textile Industries Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin.


According to the lawyers of the two accused men, the bar had called for a strike following an incident of firing on two Rawalpindi lawyers allegedly by land grabbers.

Justice Khawaja Imtiaz Ahmed and Justice Ibadur Rehman Lodhi of the Rawalpindi bench of the LHC, therefore, put off the hearing till August 29.

Ali Musa and Shahabuddin are accused of pressuring officials of the health ministry in 2010 to allocate huge quotas of controlled chemical ephedrine to two different pharmaceutical companies.

Both accused were present in the courtroom on Monday.

Separately, an anti-narcotics court deferred the hearing of a bail plea of former health director general Dr Asad Hafeez till August 30 in the absence of lawyers.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28th, 2012. ]]>
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			</item><item>
			<title>Ephedrine case: ANF seeks asset details of Musa, Shahabuddin</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/425941/ephedrine-case-anf-seeks-asset-details-of-musa-shahabuddin</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/425941/ephedrine-case-anf-seeks-asset-details-of-musa-shahabuddin#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 25 Aug 12 05:51:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Kashif Zafar]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=425941</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The force asks district coordination officers to submit the record quickly.]]>
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			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Officials of the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) have asked the District Coordination Officers (DCO) to submit a complete record of the assets of everyone involved in the ephedrine quota case.

The ANF officials asked the DCO in Multan to submit complete details of the assets of Ali Musa Gilani. The DCO in Rahim Yar Khan was likewise instructed to send complete details regarding the assets of Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) President for Southern Punjab Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Secretary for Planning and Development Mian Abdul Sattar and other high-profile people of the district including PPP ticket holder Ahmad Khan Lund.

Commenting on the matter, the brother of an accused, Mian Ghos Muhammad, told the media that ANF had asked for these details so they could conduct a thorough investigation into the matter. He said that during the investigation the accused are barred from either transferring or selling their assets.

He added that Makhdoom Shahabuddin and Mian Abdul Sattar have made Rs6 million out of the whole scam and should seek apology from the public and immediately resign from their posts.

He said that he was surprised as to how people involved in such a huge scandal can still be part of PPP.

Deputy Revenue Administrative Officer of Rahim Yar Khan Shabbir Khan Mirani verified that the ANF had asked for the asset records of the three individuals.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine scandal: Former health official gets post-arrest bail</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422947/ephedrine-scandal-former-health-official-gets-post-arrest-bail</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422947/ephedrine-scandal-former-health-official-gets-post-arrest-bail#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 17 Aug 12 01:26:49 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=422947</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Earlier, his bail was denied by the Control of Narcotics Substance court.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday granted post-arrest bail to a former deputy drug controller accused of allocating excessive quantities of ephedrine to two pharmaceutical companies. This is the first bail plea to be accepted by the court in the scam.


The orders were passed by a two-member bench of LHC’s Rawalpindi bench, comprising Justice Khawaja Imtiaz Ahmed and Justice Ibadur Rehman Lodhi, after the prosecutor and investigators of Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) failed to convince the court to keep Abdul Sattar Surani in custody. The court also directed Surani to submit a surety bond worth Rs1 million.

Surani’s counsel, Abdul Rasheed Sheikh, maintained that the investigators had no evidence against his client as his job was to fix the prices of medicines registered with the health ministry and he had nothing to do with allocation of ephedrine quota.

He argued that the allegation of Danas Pharmaceuticals (a firm accused of obtaining the excess quota) paying his client’s rent was not supported by any evidence.

The lawyer also argued that the ANF had initially cited his client as a prosecution witness but included him in the list of accused later when he denied testifying against Ali Musa Gilani and Makhdoom Shahabuddin.

He contended that the two accused-turned-approvers - former health director general Dr Rasheed Jumma and former director Danas Pharmaceuticals Rizwan Khan - had not named Surani in their statements.

On the other hand, ANF Special Public Prosecutor Wasim Ahmed produced certain documents that showed Surani had consented to allocate the quota as the serving deputy drug controller in 2010.

Ahmed, however, could not satisfy the court on why the documents had not been included in the investigation report against Surani.

The prosecutor also could not produce a cheque for Rs198,000 that was allegedly paid to Surani as the rent of his house by Ansar Farooq, the chief executive of Danas Pharmaceutical.

Earlier, a special judge of Control of Narcotics Substance (CNS) court had denied bail to Surani.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine scam: Former DG seeks bail on health grounds</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422627/ephedrine-scam-former-dg-seeks-bail-on-health-grounds</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422627/ephedrine-scam-former-dg-seeks-bail-on-health-grounds#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 Aug 12 05:10:59 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=422627</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Dr Hafeez requests court to form a medical board to conduct a detailed examination to determine his condition.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Former director general (DG) health Dr Asad Hafeez, accused of allocating excessive quantities of ephedrine for export to two pharmaceutical companies, filed for post-arrest bail on medical grounds on Wednesday. 


Dr Hafeez, who is undergoing treatment at Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, has requested the Control of Narcotics Substance (CNS) court to grant him bail as he is too ill to be jailed.

In his petition, Dr Hafeez requested the court to form a medical board to conduct a detailed examination to determine his condition.

CNS Judge Zaffar Iqbal Chaudhry issued notices to Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and asked it to produce the relevant records on Friday.

ANF has accused the former DG of granting excessive allocations of ephedrine for export, a controlled chemical, to two pharmaceutical companies, one from Islamabad and the other from Multan in 2010.

The investigators have charged the former DG health of violating rules to grant ephedrine allocations.

Two other suspects, former Cann Pharmaceutical chief executive Hashim Ali Khan and former Danas Pharma employee Ahsanuddin also filed for bail. The court directed the ANF to respond to the bail plea of the two men on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a division bench of the Lahore High Court adjourned hearing of the bail plea of former deputy drug controller Abdul Sattar Surani, an accused in ephedrine case, till Tuesday. Justice Khawaja Imtiaz Ahmed and Justice Ibadur Rehman Lodhi of LHC’s Rawalpindi bench deferred the hearing due to the absence of ANF prosecutor Wasim Ahmed.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine scam: Gilani junior and Shahabuddin’s bail extended</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/421678/ephedrine-scam-gilani-junior-and-shahabuddin%e2%80%99s-bail-extended</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/421678/ephedrine-scam-gilani-junior-and-shahabuddin%e2%80%99s-bail-extended#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 14 Aug 12 01:38:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[mudassir.raja]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=421678</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Ali Musa’s counsel failed to turn up for hearing.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday extended interim pre-arrest bails of Minister for Textile Industries Makhdoom Shahabuddin and MNA Ali Musa Gilani, son of former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani, in the case of illegal allotment of ephedrine quota.


Justice Khawaja Imtiaz Ahmed and Justice Ibadur Rehman Lodhi of LHC’s Rawalpindi bench extended the bail of the accused till August 27, allowing the leaders of Pakistan Peoples Party to celebrate Eid at home.

The high court has extended the interim pre-arrest bail of health minister Shahabuddin for six times since he first filed an application on June 28, while Ali Musa Gilani has been granted three extensions since July 16.

The bench was requested to adjourn hearing since Shahabuddin’s counsel, Shah Khawar, had to appear before the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, counsel for Ali Musa Gilani, Dr Khalid Ranjha, said he had no objection to deferring the proceedings till August 27 as the bail pleas of the two accused should be heard together.

Anti-Narcotics Force ANF Special Public Prosecutor Wasim Ahmed, however, objected to the delay in the disposal of the bail pleas.

Former director general health Dr Rasheed Jumma in his statement as state approver had accused both Ali Musa Gilani and Shahabuddin of pressurising him to convert the export quota so that 9,000 kilogramme ephedrine could be used for local consumption in 2010.

Two pharmaceutical companies Danas and Berlex were allocated huge quantities of ephedrine in excess of their quotas. Both firms did not keep a record of consumption of the controlled chemical.

Another accused Rizwan Khan, former director of Danas Pharmaceuticals, in his statement as approver had claimed that ephedrine was smuggled to Iran through Balochistan which netted Rs7 billion for the people involved.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine case: MNA Hanif Abbasi granted protective bail till Sept 7</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/421775/ephedrine-case-mna-hanif-abbasi-granted-protective-bail-till-sept-7</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/421775/ephedrine-case-mna-hanif-abbasi-granted-protective-bail-till-sept-7#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 13 Aug 12 23:16:16 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=421775</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Court grants interim pre-arrest bail to PML-N leader against surety of Rs500,000.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Sindh High Court has granted protective bail to parliamentarian Hanif Abbasi in the ephedrine quota case until September 7.

The case involves the illegal allocation of ephedrine quotas worth Rs7 billion to two pharmaceutical companies – Berlex Lab International and Danas Pharmaceutical.

Two other suspects in the case, Ali Musa Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, and former health minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin, were also granted interim bails until Aug 27 by the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench on Monday.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader had sought an eight-week-long protective bail through his counsel, Shaukat Hayat, on the ground that he was a resident of Karachi and needed time to travel to the trial court in Rawalpindi. He also requested the court to grant him time to engage a lawyer and to appear before the anti-narcotics court.

Abbasi was booked in a case (41/2012) registered under sections 9(c), 15 and 16 of the Control of Narcotics Substances Act, 1997. The FIR was lodged on the complaint of Lt Colonel Syed Tauqeer Abbasi Zaidi posted at the Anti-Narcotics Force’s Rawalpindi directorate police station. The applicant submitted that he was avoiding arrest as the case against him was registered with mala fide intent. The entire plot was to discredit him in the eyes of the business community as well as the general public, he stated.

The Anti-Narcotics Force, the prosecuting agency, maintains that the quota to import ephedrine in huge quantities was awarded to 99 different pharmaceutical firms, out of which 28 firms misused their share. No medicines were manufactured by these companies except some samples and a fake sales record was prepared to cover up the scam. Ephedrine was then sold to drug smugglers.

On Monday, Justice Maqbool Baqar today heard the bail plea in his chamber. The applicant was granted interim pre-arrest bail against a solvent surety of Rs500,000 and asked to surrender before the trial court.

Later, MNA Abbasi while talking to the press said that like the previous cases, he will be also be acquitted in this case too. “The Anti-Narcotics Force has already said that the 500-kg ephedrine quota was within the prescribed limit and we will prove our innocence before the courts,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>LHC extends pre-arrest bails of Ali Musa Gilani, Makhdoom Shahabuddin</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/418399/lhc-extends-pre-arrest-bails-of-ali-musa-gilani-makhdoom-shahabuddin</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/418399/lhc-extends-pre-arrest-bails-of-ali-musa-gilani-makhdoom-shahabuddin#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Aug 12 18:24:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=418399</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Bench said the two bails would be heard together on the next date of hearing.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Lahore High Court, hearing the ephedrine quota scandal case, has extended the pre-arrest bails of Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Ali Musa Gilani and federal minister for Textile Makhdoom Shahabuddin until August 13 on Monday.

Justice Sheikh Najam ul Hassan and Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmed Khan put off the hearing after the Anti-Narcotics Force’s (ANF) prosecutor informed the judges that the investigation officer was busy before the Supreme Court.

Ali Musa’s counsel Dr Khalid Ranjah was also unavailable and his associates sought adjournment.

Responding to Justice Khawaja Imtiaz who said that his client Shahabuddin should have approached the trial court for pre-arrest bail before coming to the high court, advocate Shah Khawar expressed no-confidence in the trial judge.

Advocate Abdul Rasheed Sheikh - another lawyer for Shahabuddin - said the ANF officials had been meeting the special judge and influencing the court proceedings.

Khawar said he was ready to argue the bail plea, but the bench said the two bails would be heard together on the next date of hearing.

The lawyer for Abdul Sattar Surani - former deputy drug controller for the health ministry – requested the court to hear the bail plea separately. The court accepted the request and noted it would hear Surani’s plea on August 15.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine case: Interior ministry asked to place Ali Musa on ECL</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/418147/ephedrine-case-interior-ministry-asked-to-place-ali-musa-on-ecl</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/418147/ephedrine-case-interior-ministry-asked-to-place-ali-musa-on-ecl#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Aug 12 03:37:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[arif.rana]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=418147</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Ministry of narcotics control moves summary on ANF’s recommendations.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[In a bid to prevent those accused in the ephedrine scandal from leaving the country, the Ministry of Narcotics Control has recommended to the interior ministry to place former health minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin and Ali Musa Gilani (son of former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani) along with 17 others on the Exit Control List (ECL).


The narcotics control ministry moved the summary on the recommendations of the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF).

Well-placed sources told the Express Investigation Cell (EIC) that other accused whose names have been listed in the summary include former narcotics control secretary Zafar Abbas Luk, former health director general Dr Rashid Jumma, former health acting director general Dr Asad Hafeez, chief executive of Berlix Lab Multan Rizwan Ahmed Khan, alleged front man of Ali Musa Gilani, Tauqir Ahmed Khan, Director CAN Pharma Multan Hashim Tareen (allegedly involved in making a fake distribution network for Berlex),  Director Florence Pharma Islamabad Ehsanur Rehman, Director Florence Pharma Multan Chaudhary Abdul Waheed Majid, Director Danas Pharma Islamabad Col (Retd) Tahir Lahoti and Executive Director Danas Pharma Islamabad Ansar Farooq.

Danas is the second major accused firm which allegedly misused an ephedrine quota for making pep pills. The recommended names also include those of former deputy drug controller Abdul Sattar Sohrani, Syed Tauqir Shirazi, former federal drug controller Shaikh Ansar Ahmed and Director Florence Pharma Islamabad Syed Anjum Shah.

Principal secretary to the former prime minister and key accused in the ephedrine case Khushnood Akhtar Lashari has already left Pakistan, and is currently residing in the UK. After his failure in showing up for investigations, the ANF is now reportedly preparing a case to issue a red warrant and issue his arrest through Interpol.

Lashari allegedly misused his authority as health secretary in 2010 to help Berlex Multan and Danas Pharma Islamabad to glean a 9,000 kilogrammes ephedrine quota on the basis of forged documents for fake exports to Afghanistan and Iraq. This quota was later converted to be applicable to the domestic market.

According to the ANF summary, Berlex and Danas Pharma had close links with former health minister Shahabuddin and Ali Musa, who used their political positions to help the accused firms get the ephedrine drug quota.

Referring to Dr Jumma’s role in the quota allocation, the summary maintains that the former health director general was pressurised by Lashari to issue the massive quota in clear violation of the 1976 Drug Act. The summary added that Luk, as the narcotics control ministry secretary, thwarted justice by blocking investigation into the case.

The ANF summary also noted that since the case is under investigation, the 19 accused in the case must be placed on the ECL to avoid them fleeing from Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Misuse of authority?: Gilani’s aide sent to UK with Rs6m in hand</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/416932/misuse-of-authority-gilani%e2%80%99s-aide-sent-to-uk-with-rs6m-in-hand</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/416932/misuse-of-authority-gilani%e2%80%99s-aide-sent-to-uk-with-rs6m-in-hand#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 02 Aug 12 22:33:20 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[arif.rana]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=416932</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Trip was not sanctioned by medical board.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani reportedly granted £40,000 (around Rs6 million) to his principal secretary Kushnood Akhtar Lashari for a ‘medical check-up’ in the United Kingdom, without the recommendation of a medical board.

Besides the large sum of public funds, the former premier also approved ex-Pakistan leave for his principal secretary, sources said.

Lashari is wanted by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) for investigations in the ephedrine drug quota case which also involved Gilani’s younger son Ali Musa. Lashari served as the health secretary in 2010, and the illegal quotas were purportedly approved under his tenure. He was subsequently promoted by the former premier to the post of principal secretary.

A senior official of the Prime Minister Secretariat told the Express Investigation Cell that the former premier approved £40,000 for a medical check-up of Lashari in the first week of June – a few days before the Supreme Court disqualified Gilani as prime minister and dismissed his government following contempt proceedings. The former premier had directed the finance ministry to disburse the money to Lashari immediately. The ministry complied with the orders and the funds were released in two days. Sources said that the ministry did not point out the lack of a formal recommendation of a medical board of senior doctors that is required for disbursing such an amount.

Concerned authorities also did not point out that Lashari never reported any disease that is incurable in Pakistan.

The timing of the approval of Lashari’s leave was already contentious, given that the investigations into the ephedrine case had picked up pace.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 3rd, 2012.]]>
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			<title>PML-N MNA withdraws petition against ANF</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/416566/pml-n-mna-withdraws-petition-against-anf</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/416566/pml-n-mna-withdraws-petition-against-anf#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 02 Aug 12 14:37:53 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=416566</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Hanif Abbasi withdraws petition after ANF registers case against him in the Ephredrine case.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) MNA Hanif Abbasi on Thursday withdrew his petition against the Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) after the ANF registered a case against him in the Ephedrine case.   

Petitioner’s Counsel Sardar Ishaq pleaded before a divisional bench of the LHC that the ANF had not registered an FIR against the legislator when the petition was filed. But now that the FIR has been registered, the petition stands ineffective.

“Now, as the ANF has registered a case against Abbasi in the drug quota case, the request is made for the withdrawal of the petition,” the counsel said.

He further contended that the drug quota obtained by the MNA for his pharmaceutical company in 2010 was totally legal as it was obtained in accordance with the law.

The petition was filed against the harassment of the legislator and employees of his pharmaceutical company by the ANF.

ANF Investigation Officer Abid Zulfiqar also submitted a report before the court stating that Abbasi obtained an illegal quota of 500 kilograms of Ephedrine and a case has been registered against him accordingly.]]>
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			<title>Chemical quota scandal: Interior secretary on notice for meddling in ephedrine probe</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/416287/chemical-quota-scandal-interior-secretary-on-notice-for-meddling-in-ephedrine-probe</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/416287/chemical-quota-scandal-interior-secretary-on-notice-for-meddling-in-ephedrine-probe#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 02 Aug 12 04:59:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[azam.khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=416287</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Former health ministry official says Akbar asked him to exonerate Khushnood Lashari.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Another top official of the government, Interior Secretary Khawaja Saddiq Akbar, was put on notice by the Supreme Court on Wednesday for his alleged interference in the Ephedrine quota scam investigation.

Former deputy director general of health Muhammad Tanveer, now an official of the national regulations and services ministry, informed the court that the Prime Minister Secretariat turned against him due to his dissenting note on the allocation of the Ephedrine quota in 2010 to Multan-based pharmaceutical companies.

He said he had recorded his statement before the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and a magistrate on merit.

Responding to the chief justice’s query, Tanveer told the court that the personal staff officer of the interior ministry made him hostage and forced his signature on some written papers. The official said that Interior Secretary Akbar summoned him to his office and asked him to exonerate former health secretary Khushnood Lashari in his statement during the ANF’s investigation of the scam and even threatened him in case he failed to do so.

In its written order the court observed, “We considered that for such reasons he was made officer of special duty (OSD) on May 15 and thereto he was transferred to Gilgit-Baltistan on June 27 and his salary was stopped when he refused to go G-B.”

The court, however, asked Tanveer to continue as the Deputy Director General in his parent ministry.

The court also questioned the process in which the official was transferred to G-B without fulfilling legal requirements. “How you can transfer an official to a province without creating a vacancy first?” the court asked the federation’s attorney.

Tanveer also told the court that inquiries were initiated against him on the basis of fake complaints but he was subsequently cleared. The chief justice asked the legal director of the Federal Investigation Agency if action was being taken against the fake complainants – namely Muhammad Tahir and Abdul Rasheed Chaudhry.

The court also issued notice to the national regulations and services secretary and ANF Director Brigadier Faheem, who is investigating the scam, following Tanveer’s complaint that federal minister Firdous Ashiq Awan was also harassing him. Former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s son Musa Gilani and federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin are also being interrogated in the scam for their alleged influence-peddling to allocate the quota to selected companies.

Meanwhile, on the petition of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Company, the court asked the ANF to investigate the issue independently and not harass anyone unnecessarily.

Justice (retd) Tariq Mahmood appeared before the court and said that the ANF was harassing around 18 companies on the basis of a list provided by politician Shaikh Rasheed Ahmad to suppress his rivals.

Brig Faheem told the court that there was no political victimisation as the names of the 18 companies were already part of ANF’s record.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 2nd, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Ephedrine scam: ANF files fresh FIR against PML-N's Hanif Abbasi</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/415344/ephedrine-scam-anf-files-fresh-fir-against-pml-ns-hanif-abbasi</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/415344/ephedrine-scam-anf-files-fresh-fir-against-pml-ns-hanif-abbasi#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jul 12 00:22:58 +0500</pubDate>
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			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=415344</guid>
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				<![CDATA[ANF sources said that Abbasi had managed to illegally procure 500kgs of ephedrine drug quota.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) in Rawalpindi has lodged a new FIR against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MNA Hanif Abbasi in the Ephedrine case.

ANF sources told Express News on Monday that Abbasi too had gotten a quota of ephedrine of 500 kilogrammes illegally. A case has been registered against this.

Sources added that among the charges filed against him, drug trafficking was included among them.

While Abbassi had not been arrested, sources privy to the matter maintained that that position could change.

Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court has ordered former minister of health Makhdoom Shahbuddin to appear before the ANF investigation team for a fifth time.

Despite orders, Ali Musa Gilani, son of former Prime Minsiter Yousaf Raza Gilani, failed to appear before the investigation team.

Last week the PML-N legislator had approached the LHC Rawalpindi Bench on July 22, challenging the Anti-Narcotics Force’s inquiry against him for obtaining ephedrine quota.

The MNA, through his counsel, challenged the ANF’s proceedings, saying that the agency cannot question him about the allocation of ephedrine quota.

Nominating ANF director general and its Rawalpindi director as respondents, Abbasi said that he obtained 500kg of ephedrine for his pharmaceutical company in 2010, which is in accordance with the law.

The counsel said that the MNA has appeared before the ANF more than once and they haven’t been able to find anything against him.]]>
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