NAB to file reference against Dr Asim

Case covers fraudulent land allotments, unfair gas quotas, also includes investigation against SSGC MD Khalid Rehman

ISLAMABAD/ KARACHI: The country’s top accountability watchdog has decided to file a reference against Dr Asim Hussain for corruption and misuse of authority.

Rangers arrested Dr Asim – a close aide to Asif Ali Zardari – on August 26, 2015 and took him into 90-day custody.



He was later handed over to police and a case was lodged against him on the Rangers complaint for allegedly providing medical treatment and cover to militants.

After that, he was handed over to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for interrogation in connection with corruption cases. NAB kept his custody till February 9, following which he was sent to prison on judicial remand.

On Thursday, the NAB Executive Board decided to register a case against Dr Asim and others. “The meeting decided to file a corruption case against Dr Asim Hussain among others…(over) fraudulent land allotments, illegal annexation of land, unfair natural gas distribution quotas and money laundering,” said a handout.



The case also includes investigation against Sui Southern Gas Company’s (SSGC) current Managing Director (MD) Khalid Rehman as well as three former MDs – Azeem Iqbal Siddiqui, Zuhair Ahmed Siddiqui and Shoaib Warsi.

In the case, the accused persons have been accused of misappropriating SSGC and OGDCL funds.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th,  2016.