Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi adjourned further proceedings till October 21.
The petitioners’ counsel told the court that Malik and his family were living a luxurious life abroad and the government had done nothing to repatriate him.
The counsel requested the Lahore High Court to direct the government to ask Interpol to bring Malik back to Pakistan for trial, the same way it did to the owners of National Insurance Company Limited.
The judge then directed the ministry of foreign affairs to produce its performance report at the next hearing to show how much effort it had made to bring Malik back to Pakistan.
At the previous hearing, the judge issued a show cause notice to a TV anchor to explain why he should not be banned from TV since he had patronised and protected Malik.
Malik is accused of looting millions of rupees from 190 people.
The Federal Investigation Agency has registered a case against him under Section 216 of the Pakistan Penal Code (offender who has escaped from custody).
He has also been declared proclaimed offender in 190 cases.
More than 125 people had filed petitions in the LHC alleging that they had given Malik and his wife Zubia Rubab money to send them abroad.
They said that Asim Malik had neither sent them abroad nor had he returned the money.
Judge ordered the FIA to confiscate Malik’s assets and to place his name on exit control list (ECL).
Red warrants have also been issued for the couple.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 18th, 2014.
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