LAHORE  -  Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif Saturday dubbed ‘discriminatory’ the court decision against Hanif Abbasi.

“The timing and the manner of judgement clearly show a discriminatory attitude towards the PML-N. It is aimed at targeting the PML-N at a time when the party is very close to winning,” he said in reaction to the conviction of his party leader.

A Rawalpindi court announced life imprisonment for Hanif Abbasi in the ephedrine quota case on Saturday night. Initial reports suggested that Abbasi will be sent to Adiala jail, the same prison where ex-PM Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz are serving their sentences in the Avenfield reference.

“The verdict, like the judgement in the case of Nawaz, came after an inordinate wait on Saturday around midnight and that too in the midst of election campaign,” Shehbaz said while dismissing the decision.

He continued: “All cases against other politicians, including [PTI chief] Imran Khan and [PPP co-chairman] Asif Zardari, have been deferred due to elections. Just an exception has been made in the case of PML-N leader Abbasi.

“We condemn the mala fide intention behind the timing of this decision, which is politically motivated and will undermine the election campaign of PML-N.”

However, he appealed to his candidates and workers to resist such ‘nefarious’ designs and remain loyal to the PML-N to make it win in the July 25 polls.

Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said in his reaction to the verdict that they could not see the justice being dispensed in the case. The ex-premier said that the verdict had made the election ‘controversial’.

Imran Khan said he had just received the news that one more PML-N member was going to Adiala prison.

Awami Muslim League (AML) head Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, who is also contesting from NA-60 Rawalpindi, remarked that the case had reached its logical end. Rasheed said that Abbasi had been selling drugs and was caught in the act.

Earlier, the PML-N senators registered their protest with the upper house of the parliament, saying their party was being targeted ahead of polls.

Senator Pervaiz Rashid cited cases against his party leaders and mentioned the hearing of ephedrine case though all cases were put off till election.

Participating in a senate debate, Pervaiz urged the chairman to summon National Accountability Court (NAB) and ECP chiefs to the upper house to reply to questions of lawmakers. Leader of House in Senate Raja Zafarul complained the same.

STAFF REPORTER/Monitoring Desk