Son of ex-Pakistani PM arrested over corruption

ISLAMABAD - The son of former Pakistani Prime Minister, Yusuf Raza Gilani was arrested in Islamabad in a corruption case on Friday, officials said.

Ali Musa Gilani, who is also member of the parliament, was wanted by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) for his alleged role in a scandal to pressure officials of the Health Ministry to allocate a quota of controlled chemical ephedrine to two different pharmaceutical companies.

He had denied any role in the scandal and had got an interim bail from the high court and planned to appear in the Supreme Court on Friday when the ANF officials arrested him at the gate of the court's building in Islamabad.

Following his arrest, the Supreme Court ordered the ANF officials to produce Ali Musa within half an hour. The court also summoned the ANF officials to appear to explain as to why he was arrested near the court building.

Khalid Ranjha, defence lawyer of Ali Musa Gilani, described the arrest as the biggest contempt of court and the murder of justice.

Ali Musa Gilani, who was arrested on the premises of the Supreme Court, was taken away by the ANF personnel. TV footage showed the ANF Officials forced him out of his vehicle just outside the main entrance of the Supreme Court and took him away to the ANF headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

The ANF said it had arrest warrant for Ali Musa Gilani and he was arrested on the basis of the warrant.

Defence lawyer told the media that as soon as Gilani reached the court along with his counsel to submit a plea seeking a pre- arrest bail, ANF officials present pulled him out of his car and shackled him when he showed resistance.

Ali Musa Gilani was accused of pressuring officials of the Health Ministry in 2010, when his father was Prime Minister, to allocate a quota of controlled chemical Ephedrine to two different pharmaceutical companies.

The ANF, which is run by the military and is investigating the case, had sought arrest warrant for Ali Musa Gilani for his alleged role of misusing powers. Gilani had got pre-arrest bail from the Lahore High Court and was to appear in the Supreme Court to confirm his bail. But before appearing in the Supreme Court, he was taken into custody.