Ali Musa Gilani, who is also a sitting MNA from Multan, was booked by the Anti-Narcotics Force for his alleged involvement in the illegal allocation of ephedrine quota worth Rs7 billion to two pharmaceutical companies in 2010. The ANF registered cases against two pharmaceutical companies, Danas Pharmaceutical and Berlex Lab International, for illegally obtaining the export quota of approximately 8,500 kilograms ephedrine with the collusion of top officials of the Ministry of Health and selling it in the local market.

The judicial magistrate in Rawalpindi last month issued non-bailable warrants againstthe applicant along with PPP leader and candidate for PM’s slot, Makhdoom Shahabuddin, with directions to the ANF to arrest them and produce them before the court.

To avoid his possible arrest in the ephedrine case by the ANF, Musa Gilani appeared before the Sindh High Court, along with his lawyer Shazia Hanjra, and sought protective transitory bail so that he could surrender before the trial court.

The counsel submitted that the applicant was a sitting MNA and had been falsely implicated by the ANF to harass and humiliate him. She submitted that the applicant was included in the case after the submission of charge sheet and he was not nominated in the FIR that was registered in October last year. She also said that co-accused Makhdoom Shahabuddin was also granted protective bail from the Peshawar High Court, submitting that the applicant apprehended his arrest and sought protective transitory bail so that he could face the trial court proceedings.

A Division Bench of the Sindh High Court, comprising Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, on Monday granted protective bail to Ali Musa Gilani for two weeks in the ephedrine case.

The court order said: “Urgent application deferred for time being. Exemption is granted subject to all just exception. Learned DAG/ standing counsel waived notice of present petition. Instant the petition has been filed for grant of protective bail to the petitioner. The learned counsel for petitioner contended that the petitioner is a sitting member of National Assembly and has falsely been implicated in the matter mala fide for harassment and humiliation at behest of the Anti Narcotics Force. The judicial magistrate, Rawalpindi, has passed order for issuance of warrants of arrest against the petitioner and the petitioner apprehends his mala fide arrest; therefore, approached this court for protective/ transitory bail.

“Without touching merit of the case, a protective bail is granted to the petitioner for a period of two weeks from Monday subject to furnishing solvent surety in sum of Rs100,000 and the PR Bond in like amount to the satisfaction of Nazir of this court. This concession of bail shall cease to have force on expiry of the aforesaid period or when the petitioner surrenders himself before the trial court, whichever is earlier. In case, after availing benefit of this order, the petitioner fails to appear before the trial court, the surety furnished by him shall stand forfeited. The petition stands disposed of.”

Later, talking to journalists after obtaining protective bail from the SHC, Ali Musa Gilani said that he had confidence in the courts and expected justice from the present judiciary. He said that his father former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani had also appeared before the Supreme Court and “sacrificed himself for the supremacy of the Constitution and democracy”. He expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation and said that he had no confidence in it, adding that he was being falsely implicated in the case with ulterior motives.