SC again rejects Hanif Abbasi's appeal

LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed another appeal of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi challenging a Lahore High Court ruling to conduct trial proceedings in the ephedrine case on a daily basis. 

A bench of the apex court seized with the hearing of the appeal observed that the LHC gave such a decision with the consent of the PML-N leader.

On July 18, the LHC Rawalpindi bench dismissed his appeal seeking review of its decision to conduct daily hearings in the ephedrine case.

The bench upheld the previous verdict which also directed an anti-narcotics court to conclude trial against him by July 21.

Mr Abbasi went to the high court, filing the appeal after the Supreme Court rejected his petition in this regard and directed him to file an appeal in the high court seeking review of the verdict.

Headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, a bench of the top court dismissed his petition on July 17.

Abbasi petitioned the apex court, requesting it to set aside the LHC ruling calling for swift conclusion of the ephedrine case.

His lawyer argued that the trial court was to resume the hearing of the case against him in August, but the high court directed it conduct daily hearings to conclude the case by July 21.

He pleaded with the judges to set aside the high court’s verdict.

The PML-N leader faces charges of misusing 500kg of controlled chemical ephedrine which he obtained for his pharmaceutical company in 2010.

The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) had registered a case against him and others in June 2012 under various sections of the CNS Act.