ISLAMABAD, Sept 11: The Anti-Narcotics Force submitted a report to the Supreme Court on Tuesday formally accusing PML-N legislator Hanif Abbasi of obstructing investigation into the ephedrine scandal by blackmailing and not cooperating with the agency.

The apex court is seized with the scam which also involves Textiles Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin and former prime minister’s son Ali Musa Gilani.

On Monday, Mr Shahabuddin moved an application for bail before arrest.

The ANF report alleged that Mr Abbasi, owner of Gray’s Pharma also an accused in the scandal, was not cooperating with the investigation team. He went to Karachi and obtained a protective bail from the Sindh High Court on August 13.

After the expiry of the bail, Mr Abbasi sought another one from the Lahore High Court, the hearing of which was fixed for Wednesday.

The ANF said Mr Abbasi was chairman of Anjuman-i-Tajiraan Rawalpindi and using its platform to propagate that life-saving drugs had disappeared from the market because of investigation into the ephedrine scam.

“This is totally incorrect,” the report said, adding that the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association had never raised any concern; rather it had assured the ANF of its complete cooperation.

The ANF alleged that on behalf of Mr Abbasi some people of Bohar Bazaar Rawalpindi were raising a hue and cry in this regard.

The report said that after the registration of the case Mr Abbasi along with a large number of his supporters and party workers had come to the ANF police station and raised “highly objectionable slogans against the agency, used abusive language and passed indecent remarks”.

It accused Mr Abbasi of maligning the ANF at press conferences and TV talk shows to divert attention of the public and courts and to influence investigation against him.

The report rejected a claim of Mr Abbasi that the ANF was proceeding against him at the instance of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, his political rival in Rawalpindi. It accused Mr Abbasi of inciting 500 pharmaceutical companies to join hands in his propaganda about shortage of life-saving drugs.

The ANF is currently investigating seven pharmaceutical companies for their alleged involvement in the ephedrine scandal. They are: Syntex Pharmaceutical in Attock, Global Pharmaceutical in Islamabad, Genome Pharmaceutical in Hattar, Friends Pharmaceutical in Lahore, Gray’s Pharma in Islamabad, Neutro Pharma in Lahore and Raymond Pharmaceutical in Lahore.

The ANF informed the court that investigation found that these companies had misused ephedrine.