Court reserves verdict on Dr Asim's ECL plea

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday reserved its verdict over former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain’s plea of removing his name from the Exit Control List (ECL).

The Pakistan Peoples Party Karachi Division president and close aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari — currently out on bail in several cases of corruption and terrorism — claims he needs urgent surgery abroad.

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At the last hearing, the federal government had opposed the removal of Dr Asim’s name from the no-fly list, informing the two-judge SHC bench — headed by Justice Junaid Ghaffar — that the accused has been put on the ECL on the order of the court as well as on recommendations of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The accused faces trial in two cases of alleged corruption of over Rs450 billion and another of allegedly facilitating and treating terrorists at his medical facility — Dr Ziauddin Hospital.

The NAB prosecutor had informed the bench at the last hearing that Dr Asim had been granted bail in the corruption cases on medical grounds, following which the court had directed him to deposit his passports and also directed the Interior Ministry to place his name on the ECL.

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Dr Asim was released from the sub-jail at Jinnah hospital in Karachi on March 31 this year after obtaining bail in all the cases lodged against him. He was arrested by the Rangers in August 2015 and then transferred into police custody.

Power of attorney plea rejected

The SHC bench also rejected Dr Asim’s plea to transfer his power of attorney to his son, who resides in Dubai.

On May 1, the SHC had reserved its verdict on the petition.

In the earlier hearings, the judges had questioned why the petitioner wanted to transfer the power of attorney to his son as he was out of jail on bail and could look after the properties himself.

Dr Asim’s lawyer had informed the court that while the petitioner was released on bail, he could not travel to Dubai to look after his business. He added that his client wanted his son, Amad Hussain, to look after the family businesses and properties. All the requisite documents were provided to the foreign affairs ministry for verification of the power of attorney but the officials refused, the counsel had said, pleading the court to direct the foreign ministry to do so. 

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The bench was informed that delays in transferring the power of attorney to Dr Asim’s son are causing financial losses to the petitioner.

The federal government had opposed the move, alleging that the petitioner wants to transfer power of attorney to his son so he can sell the controversial properties and businesses as their source of funding is not legal.