RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench on Wednesday extended the interim bails of Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz’s (PML-N) MNA Hanif Abbasi, former director general health Asad Hafeez and the owner of a pharmaceutical company until Oct 17, DawnNews reported.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Sagheer Ahmed and Justice Ali Baqir Najafi was hearing the bail petition of the accused, who is allegedly involved in misusing the controlled chemical - ephedrine.

Counsel for the petitioner, Sardar Ishaq Khan pleaded that the entire record about usage of the allotted quota had been submitted before the trial court of Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF).

He said that the case was being heard in the Supreme Court therefore the High Court should wait for the verdict of the apex court.

ANF Director (Legal) Akhtar Abbas contended that the quota record provided by the accused was not reliable and sought the physical remand of Hanif Abbasi to make headway in the case.

He told the LHC’s Rawalpindi bench that ANF was not responsible for the allotment of the ephedrine quota but it was responsible for conducting investigations if the quota was being used illicitly.

Abbas claimed that the records that Hanif Abbasi had submitted were forged. Justice Sagheer Ahmed showed his displeasure over the ANF officer's claim and directed him to produce supporting evidence.

Hanif Abbasi had submitted some receipts and details of 170kg ephedrine used in the medicines, which were available in different markets, but there was no mention of the remaining 330kg chemical.

The ANF also received a laboratory report based on the samples of medicines collected from markets, which revealed that the medicines were recently manufactured and supplied in markets especially, after the misusing of ephedrine quota appeared.

The ANF also found that the drugs were supplied to unauthorized dealers in complete violation of the rules and regulations.

Rejecting the allegation of smuggling the quota to a neighbouring country, Hanif Abbasi said he used the quota in making medicines.

On July 29, the ANF had registered a case against Hanif Abbasi for his alleged involvement in misusing 500 kg ephedrine, which was to be used in manufacturing medicines locally.