Ephedrine case: Use of force to arrest Gilani legal, ANF tells SC

Former prime minister's son had alleged that ANF officials harassed him when he came to appear before SC to seek bail.

ISLAMABAD: 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.