KARACHI: The federal government submitted its reply on Tuesday in the Sindh High Court regarding former petroleum minister, Dr Asim Hussain’s, name in the Exit Control List.
According to the government’s lawyer, the corrupt practices of Dr Asim caused a loss of billions to the national exchequer.
However, Dr Asim’s lawyer, Lateef Khosa, said another person, Abdul Hameed, accused in the cases was allowed to travel abroad.
The hearing was adjourned till May 15.
At the previous hearing, Khosa informed the court that the former minister had booked a flight to London for May 7 and a return ticket for May 22. The petitioner’s lawyer stated that his client could be paralysed if not treated on time. The hearing was delayed until May 9.
Earlier on April 15, an anti-terrorism court allowed Dr Asim to leave Pakistan for two weeks to get medical treatment abroad.
The court had permitted the former minister to leave the country following the submission of Rs2 million as surety and ordered him to return to the country within two weeks.
Dr Asim’s name was put on the ECL, first on November 24, 2015 on the recommendations of NAB over the charges of corruption and misuse of authority.
Later, the name was added to the list for the second time on April 6, over the orders of the high court.
After his arrest in 2015, Dr Asim was given bail on medical grounds, but over the condition of not being allowed to leave the country.
However, he submitted a request in the court to be allowed to travel abroad so that he could get himself treated.
Dr Asim, who served as the petroleum adviser during the tenure of the Pakistan Peoples Party government, was taken into custody on August 26, 2015 under Section 11-EEEE (power to arrest and detain suspected persons) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. A joint interrogation team was formed after getting approval from the Sindh government. He was serving as the chairperson of the Sindh Higher Education Commission when he was arrested.
According to the FIR registered against him, Dr Asim facilitated criminals and terrorists by getting them treated at the two branches of his hospital in Karachi.