LHC declares Hanif Abbasi’s sentence as null and void in ephedrine quota case

Lahore: A Lahore High Court division bench on Wednesday declared sentence of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi as null and void in the ephedrine quota case.

Abbasi had submitted an appeal in the high court to challenge his 25-year prison sentence in the ephedrine case.

The day before, a division bench of the Lahore High Court had kept the decision pending regarding Hanif Abbasi's appeal against his conviction in the ephedrine quota case.

During this session, Abbasi was present in the court.

Justice Aalia Neelum, who led the division bench, presided over the hearing of Abbasi's appeal and, after listening to extensive arguments from both sides, decided to reserve the verdict.

The bench announced that the verdict would be made public on the following day.

In the closing arguments, Abbasi's legal representative contended that the trial court's decision to hand a life sentence to his client in the ephedrine quota case was in conflict with the case's actual circumstances and was not legally defensible. He urged the court to overturn the conviction. However, the prosecution opposed the plea and requested the bench to reject the appeal.