Supreme Court on Monday directed Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) to submit a written complaint against Ministry of Interior's reluctance to place the names of Ali Musa Gilani and others on Exit Control List (ECL). A three-member bench of the apex court comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Tariq Pervez heard the ephedrine quota allotment case.
At the outset of hearing, Brigadier Fahim, Director ANF, who is also the lead investigator in the ephedrine case, apprised the bench that ANF requested the Interior Ministry eight months ago to put the names of Ali Musa Gilani, Khushnood Akhtar Lashari and others on ECL, but the ministry had not paid any heed to it.
The Chief Justice directed Brigadier Fahim to submit a written complaint to the bench in this regard and observed that the entire world was waiting for the outcome of the case. During the course of hearing, the bench re-directed Secretary Interior to submit a reply in the matter pertaining to forced transfer of an official to Gilgit-Baltistan for opposing allotment of extra quota of chemical ephedrine.
In compliance with court's earlier order Secretary Interior Khwaja Siddique Akbar appeared before the bench and submitted that he was not the competent authority to relegate an official's position to an OSD's. The Secretary Interior refuted the accusations levelled by Muhammad Tanvir, Deputy Director Drug Regulatory Authority that he (Akbar) called him at his office and asked him to exonerate former Secretary Health Khushnud Akhtar Lashari.
Akbar told the court that Tanvir came to his office in a bad shape as he was suffering from fever and sought his help to record a statement before a magistrate under Section 164 in the ephedrine quota allotment case. Akbar told the bench that he asked his PS to help Tanvir get to the magistrate's office. The Chief Justice asked Secretary Interior to submit a written reply by August 8.
Imtiaz Inayat Elahi, Secretary National Regulation and Services, told the bench that the transfer of Tanvir to Gilgit Baltistan had been withdrawn. Moreover, his salary had also been restored. He contended that the case of Tanvir was not properly examined; hence his transfer order was reversed on August 3 on court's directions. Later, the bench adjourned the hearing of case till August 8.