RAWALPINDI – The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) in the ephedrine case report has declared former director general (DG) health Dr Asad Hafeez as the main accused over allowing some 2,500 kg ephedrine quota to two different pharmaceutical companies in violation of relevant rules.
The ANF in the report further declared three other accused - Ali Musa Gilani (the son of former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani), Federal Minister for Textile Makhdoom Shahabuddin and former secretary Khushnood Lashari as absconders, as an ANF investigator submitted the challan in a trial court on Saturday.
In its challan, the ANF mentioned that Asad awarded a huge quota of controlled chemical ephedrine to two companies to smuggle it to Iran, a move through which seven billion rupees were pocketed.
The ANF investigators also accused the former DG of setting aside the rules while granting the ephedrine quotas to the two companies.
The names of Musa Gilani, Makhdoom Shahabuddin and Khushnood Lashari were inserted in the box reserved for absconders in the challan by ANF. Earlier, a Lahore High Court (LHC) Divisional Bench had rejected the pre-arrest bail of Musa Gilani, and Shahabuddin in Ephedrine smuggling case on September 3.
The court had also issued arrest orders for Makhdoom Shahabuddin and Musa Gilani, after rejecting their bail pleas and ordered ANF to arrest both the accused for their non-compliance of the court orders.
Court for Narcotics Control (CNC) Special Judge Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry on September 7 dismissed the bail pleas of Asad Hafeez, former drug controller Sheikh Ansar and Danas Pharma owner Ansar Farooq, arrested by the ANF in ephedrine scam.