Ephedrine case: Musa Gilani’s plea for cancellation of warrant rejected
Court finds warrants in order, rejects argument that magistrate cannot issue warrants.
RAWALPINDI:
A sessions court on Monday rejected an application filed by Ali Musa Gillani, son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, for the cancellation of his arrest warrants issued by a magistrate in the Ephedrine export quota case.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Kaleem Khan dismissed the application filed by the younger Gilani, who is also an MNA from Multan.
On June 21, Magistrate Shafqatullah Khan acted on a request from the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and issued warrants for the arrest of Gilani and former federal health minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin in the case, which revolves around the issuance of excessive quota allocations for the import of ephedrine, which is a controlled substance.
Gilani’s lawyer Abdul Aziz Ali had argued before the court that a magistrate could not issue arrest warrants in a case being investigated by the ANF. He posited that there are special trial courts for narcotics cases and arrest warrants for any accused could not be obtained from the court of a magistrate.
The lawyer had requested that the sessions judge set aside the order of the magistrate and cancel the warrants.
The court rejected the application for cancellation of warrants and observed that the orders of the magistrate were not illegal.
On the other hand, former health minister Shahabuddin has obtained a week-long protective bail from the Peshawar High Court after warrants for his arrest were also issued.
The case regarding the illegal sale of ephedrine was registered on October 10 last year, after two pharmaceutical companies were accused of obtaining export quotas for the drug in collusion with the health ministry officials that exceeded the limits fixed by the INCB.
Ali Musa Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, has been named in the Supreme Court as the main accused in the multi-million-rupee scandal.
A sessions court on Monday rejected an application filed by Ali Musa Gillani, son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, for the cancellation of his arrest warrants issued by a magistrate in the Ephedrine export quota case.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Kaleem Khan dismissed the application filed by the younger Gilani, who is also an MNA from Multan.
On June 21, Magistrate Shafqatullah Khan acted on a request from the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and issued warrants for the arrest of Gilani and former federal health minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin in the case, which revolves around the issuance of excessive quota allocations for the import of ephedrine, which is a controlled substance.
Gilani’s lawyer Abdul Aziz Ali had argued before the court that a magistrate could not issue arrest warrants in a case being investigated by the ANF. He posited that there are special trial courts for narcotics cases and arrest warrants for any accused could not be obtained from the court of a magistrate.
The lawyer had requested that the sessions judge set aside the order of the magistrate and cancel the warrants.
The court rejected the application for cancellation of warrants and observed that the orders of the magistrate were not illegal.
On the other hand, former health minister Shahabuddin has obtained a week-long protective bail from the Peshawar High Court after warrants for his arrest were also issued.
The case regarding the illegal sale of ephedrine was registered on October 10 last year, after two pharmaceutical companies were accused of obtaining export quotas for the drug in collusion with the health ministry officials that exceeded the limits fixed by the INCB.
Ali Musa Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, has been named in the Supreme Court as the main accused in the multi-million-rupee scandal.