ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Narcotics Control authorised on Friday Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) to investigate ephedrine quota scam in which the prime minister’s younger son, Ali Musa Gilani, was also allegedly involved.
The committee was given a detailed briefing on the matter by the acting director general of ANF, Brig Akhtar Mehmood.
“The committee removed an ambiguity regarding whether the ANF can hold the investigation of the case or is this the prerogative of the Drug Regulatory Authority,” a member of the committee, Naseer Bhutta, said.
He said the meeting observed that the former director general of ANF, Maj Gen Syed Shakeel Hussain, was removed because he was going to unveil faces behind the scam.
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s son Musa Gilani appeared before the ANF team on Thursday and got his statement recorded.
Meanwhile, the committee demanded transfer of secretaries of Narcotics Control and Establishment divisions for not attending the meeting.
During the briefing, the acting ANF chief said that two pharmaceutical companies, namely M/s Berlex Lab International Multan and M/s Danas Pharma (Pvt) Limited, Islamabad, got allocated 6500kg and 25kg of ephedrine from the Ministry of Health for manufacturing and export of medicines to Iraq and Afghanistan.
He said the quantities of the chemical were more than the domestic requirements.
“The allocation of 500kg ephedrine to a newly-registered firm was a clear violation of rules by the Ministry of Health,” he said.
The official informed the committee that a case was registered on October 10, 2011, on the directives of the Ministry of Narcotics Control.
“The investigation team has so far recorded 76 statements in this regard,” he said.
The committee has recommended that a transparent and smooth investigation should be continued in the case without discrimination.
The committee was informed by acting DG of ANF that proper procedure was not adopted by the government in the transfer of ANF officials Brig Faheem Ahmad Khan and Abid Zulfiqar.
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