LHC extends pre-arrest bails of Ali Musa Gilani, Makhdoom Shahabuddin

RAWALPINDI: 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.