LHC grants reprieve to Hanif Abbasi

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) gave a reprieve to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi on Thursday as it suspended his life sentence in the ephedrine quota case and ordered his immediate release on bail.

A two-member bench, headed by Justice Aalia Neelum, heard the PML-N leader’s petition against his sentence. On June 22, 2018, a special anti-narcotics court had sentenced Abbasi to life in the ephedrine quota case.

In his petition, Abbasi stated the anti-narcotics court had overlooked important legal points when it sentenced him to life imprisonment. During the hearing at the LHC, Abbasi’s counsel Azam Nazir Tarar argued the allegation against the PML-N leader of smuggling 500kg of ephedrine was baseless as the case was filed in 2010 on a “political basis”.

Tarar added ephedrine was sold to various pharmaceutical companies, while seven other accused in this case were acquitted while Abbasi was slapped with life imprisonment. Abbasi was fined Rs1 million along with the sentence.

The prosecutor, however, insisted Abbasi sold 137kg of ephedrine “illegally” and the drug fell in the category of narcotics. He added Abbasi’s bail plea should not be accepted. Approving Abbasi’s petition, the LHC suspended his life sentence and ordered his release. It, however, declared it will continue to hear the case.

Abbasi was arrested just four days before the general election in the country last year. A former MNA, Abbasi was to contest the 2018 general election from NA-60 Rawalpindi. The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) had registered a case against Abbasi and others in June 2012 under sections 9-C, 14 and 15 of the Control of Narcotics Substances (CNS) Act for misuse of 500kg of ephedrine. ANF officials claimed the substance was sold by Abbasi to narcotics smugglers.

The counsel of Hanif Abbasi Azam Nazir Tarar advocate in his arguments stated that the anti narcotics court had overlooked important legal points in its decision. Seven other suspects were released. The case was formed against the petitioner on political basis and pleaded to the LHC to suspend the sentence.The bench accepted Abbasi’s plea to suspend the sentence, but declared it would continue to hear the case.