Court seeks reply from foreign secretary

Dr Asim says authorities have refused to attest his power of attorney

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) sought on Tuesday a reply from the foreign ministry and others on a petition filed by Dr Asim Hussain over their rejection to attest a power of attorney document.

A division bench directed the federal law officer to file the reply of the foreign secretary and others at the next hearing. Dr Asim, a close aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari, is facing inquiries in connection with nearly Rs6 billion corruption references by the National Accountability Bureau and for allegedly harbouring and treating terrorists at his private hospitals.

In his petition to the SHC, Dr Asim said he wanted to give his power of attorney to his son Ammad, a Canadian national, in respect of Zia Medical Centre and his declared bank accounts in Dubai. The petitioner said in his request that the anti-terrorism court had allowed him to visit the camp office of the foreign ministry in Karachi to sign and execute the power of attorney in presence of the competent authority.

He claimed that while he was taken to the camp office where he signed the power of attorney, the relevant authorities refused to attest/verify the same.

Dr Asim said the officials informed him that there were various cases pending against him and that attesting such a power of attorney would affect those cases. He sought direction for the foreign ministry to attest and authenticate the power of attorney so that it could take effect. Taking up the plea, the SHC bench issued notices to the foreign secretary and others to file comments by July 17.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 29^th, 2016.