RAWALPINDI: The Anti-Narcotics Force has obtained search warrant for arrest of Ali Musa Gilani, son of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, for his alleged involvement in the ephedrine case, sources said.

They said the warrant was issued on Saturday by judge Shafqatullah Khan of the ANF court, completing legal requirements for raids on places where Mr Musa Gilani could be residing.

They said that unlike Makhdoom Shahabuddin, another accused in the case, Mr Musa Gilani had neither approached the court for a pre-arrest bail nor an interim bail to avoid arrest. Therefore, under the law he could be arrested at any time.

On June 21, the ANF court issued arrest warrants for Mr Shahabuddin and Mr Musa Gilani. At the time Mr Shahabuddin was the PPP’s first choice for the slot of prime minister. When contacted Fawad Hussain, the counsel for Mr Musa Gilani, said he would move an application for the cancellation of the warrant in the Lahore High Court.

He said the ANF court could not issue a warrant for Mr Musa Gilani’s arrest because he had appeared before investigators at least thrice in the last three months.

After the issuance of the arrest warrant for Mr Musa Gilani, his counsel filed an application in a Rawalpindi court for quashment of the warrant but the plea was rejected on June 25.