ISLAMABAD: The Control of Narcotics Substance (CNS) court on Thursday summoned all the prosecution witnesses and accused in the multi-billion ephedrine scam on November 28.
The decision was taken to expedite the trial proceeding, any failure to comply would result in the issuance of arrest warrants.
The court has already indicted former federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Ali Musa Gillani and others in the case regarding the illegal award of ephedrine quota, that exceeded the limits fixed by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), to two pharmaceutical companies Danas Pharmaceutical Limited and Berlex Lab International for the drugs in collusion with officials of the health ministry.
It is worth mentioning that son of former prime minister (PM) Yusaf Raza Gillani, Ali Musa Gillani allegedly influenced officials of the health ministry to allocate a quota of controlled chemical ephedrine, reportedly worth Rs70 billion, to two different Multan-based pharmaceutical companies in 2010.
Apart from use in medicines, the substance is also used in the manufacturing of a party drug ecstasy.
Such companies were allocated huge quantities of ephedrine in excess of their quotas, whereas both of the firms did not maintain consumption records of the controlled chemical.
The court was adjourned and the next date of hearing was fixed for November 28.