Rawalpindi (Staff Report): A special court conducting the narcotics smuggling trial against Hanif Abbasi on Saturday, awarded life imprisonment to PML-N leader.
The special court had reserved its judgment after Abbasi’s counsel concluded his arguments.
A day earlier, Judge Mohammad Akram Khan had rejected Abbasi’s plea to delay the trial’s deadline, noting that it has to follow orders of the Lahore High Court (LHC).
The judge also remarked that he will continue hearing arguments into the night if it takes that long.
Abbasi, who is contesting the upcoming election from NA-60 Rawalpindi against Sheikh Rasheed, faces charges of misusing 500kg of the controlled chemical ephedrine which he obtained for his company, Gray Pharmaceutical, in 2010.
The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) had registered a case against Abbasi and his accomplices in June 2012 under various sections of the Control of Narcotics Substances (CNS) Act.
ANF officials claim the substance was sold by Abbasi to narcotics smugglers who used it to make 'party drugs'.
