8:30 PM
Killing Corruption: Ephedrine chemical quota of 9,000 kilograms was allocated to Berlex Labs International and Danas Pharmaceutical Limited, the alleged favourites of the premier’s son, Ali Musa Gilani. The chemical is also used in production of psychotropic drugs, which was allegedly sold to smugglers to stuff their pockets with a windfall profit. According to reports Tauqir Ali Khan was the intermediary in the ephedrine scandal. According to the findings of ANF, the former director general health Rasheed Juma illegally allowed the allocation. Another former director general health, Asad Hafeez, and the then secretary health Khushnood Lashari also allowed the allocation and sale of the chemical to the companies. The chemical was procured from Alpha Chemicals and delivered to one Zari Mohammad, who was neither a licensed drug dealer nor worked for any of the pharmaceutical companies. The challan disclosed that Danas Pharmaceutical had claimed that it produced over 80 million tablets of meton from the ephedrine but could not produce any evidence to prove the claim. The company`s claim that it distributed the tablets in Gilgit and Skardu also turned out to be wrong as its chemists in these areas mentioned in the list provided by the company denied of receiving any tablet from it. The Berlex also claimed of distributing 210 million tablets of meton but it also failed to prove it.
