The then Director General (DG) of Health Department, Dr Rashid Juma, recorded his statement before the court on Monday and claimed Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Ali Musa Gilani and former secretary Khushnood Lashari exerted unlawful pressure on him in connection with ephedrine quota allotment.
The Special Narcotics Court (SNC) Rawalpindi, judge Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry, declared Dr Juma, an 'approver' in ephedrine quota scandal after he formally recorded a five-page statement before the court. Dr Juma's whereabouts were not known four days earlier.
In his statement, Dr Juma said that he was pressurised by the then health minister, Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Ali Musa Gilani, son of former Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, and former secretary Khushnood Lashari to issue a huge quantity of ephedrine to two pharma companies - Danas Pharmaceutical Company and Berlex Limited.
"Quotas of 2500-kg and 6500-kg were allotted to Danas Pharmaceutical Company and Berlex Ltd, respectively, through Anjum Shah the frontman of Makhdoom Shahabuddin and Tauqeer Khan, the frontman of Ali Musa Gilani," he said and added that Makhdoom Shahabuddin and Ali Musa Gilani had also directed him through phone calls to oblige their frontmen in relation to allotment of ephedrine quota to Danas Pharmaceutical and Berlex Ltd.
He further claimed that the three men had also pressurised him for the sale of ephedrine within Pakistan which was actually meant for export purposes. Dr Juma urged the court to provide him security because he had become an immunity-granted witness in the case.
Dr Juma implied that he succumbed to the pressure to commit an unlawful act because he had been on a contract basis.
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