LAHORE: A two-judge bench of the Lahore High Court on Wed­nesday allowed the appeal of PML-N leader Raja Hanif Abb­asi and set aside his life sentence in the ephedrine quota case.

The bench, comprising Jus­tice Aalia Neelum and Justice Asjad Javed Ghural, announced its verdict on the appeal, which had been reserved the other day.

Talking to media persons outside the court, Mr Abbasi was thankful that the matter was behind him.

He said the case against him was registered in 2012, but he did not evade the courts for 11 years and was present in the trial court when the sentence was announced.

Recounting the toll it took on him and his family, the PML-N leader said he spent 11 months in jail and was disqualified from participating in two elections, while claiming that his daughter was also terminated from her job and his family business was ruined.

Mr Abbasi said he was kept in a six-by-six cell, while PTI Chairman Imran Khan had been enjoying all facilities in jail. However, he said his party had no objection to providing facilities to Mr Khan.

He also said those involved in May 9 riots should be brought to justice, so that no one could att­ack state institutions in future.

A special court for the control of narcotic substance (CNS) had sentenced Mr Abbasi to life imp­risonment and fined him Rs1 million, days before the last general elections on July 21, 2018, in the ephedrine quota case.

The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) had registered the case against Mr Abbasi and others in 2012 under sections 9-C, 14 and 15 of Control of Narcotics Substances Act for misuse of 500kg of ephedrine.

Mr Abbasi was contesting the election against his main rival, Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, of the Awami Muslim League in NA-60, Rawalpindi, but he stood disqualified following the guilty verdict, announced just four days before polling day.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2023