PML-N’s Hanif Abbasi goes to Jail – sentenced to life in prison

Rawalpindi: Hanif Abbas goes to jail, A Court in Rawalpindi has sentenced PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi to life in prison in ephedrine quota case.

Anti-Narcotics Court Rawalpindi had reserved judgment in the case after Hanif Abbasi’s lawyer Tanveer Iqbal and the counsel for Anti-Narcotics Force had concluded their arguments earlier in the day.

The PML-N leader was arrested from the court premises soon after the special court’s judge Sardar Akram announced the verdict. Seven other accused have been acquitted due to lack of evidence.

The court has acquitted seven other accused due to lack of evidence.

Mr. Abbasi, also a PML-N candidate for Rawalpindi’s NA-60 , could not contest election after the judgement.

The furious party workers damaged the furniture and windows inside the courtroom after Mr. Abbasi was arrested.

A day earlier, Judge Mohammad Akram Khan rejected Abbasi’s plea to delay the hearing. The PML-N leader is contesting the election from NA-60, Rawalpindi.

On July 11, the LHC had directed the anti-narcotics court to fix daily hearings for the case and pass judgment by July 21.

He is accused of obtaining a large amount of ephedrine, which is a controlled substance, and then selling it to narcotic smugglers.

Timing, manner of judgement clearly shows discriminatory attitude towards PML-N: Shehbaz

The timing and manner of judgement of Hanif Abbasi clearly shows a discriminatory attitude towards PML-N, targeting our Party on the eve of the polls when PML-N is on the verge of winning the polls…. (cont)

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) July 21, 2018

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif said “the timing and manner of judgment of Hanif Abbasi clearly shows a discriminatory attitude towards PML-N”.

Mr. Sharif said that all the cases against other politicians including Imran Khan and Asif Ali Zardari have been deferred till after elections. “Only an exception has been made in the case of PML-N’s Hanif Abbasi.”