ATC allows Dr Asim to go abroad for two weeks

Ziauddin Hospitals to be taken over by state if he doesn’t return in two weeks

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) allowed on Saturday Pakistan Peoples Party leader Dr Asim Hussain to travel abroad for medical treatment while ordering him to submit a sum of Rs2 million as surety.

The ATC-II judge also observed that if Dr Asim didn’t return within two weeks of his departure, his Ziauddin Hospitals will be taken over by the state authorities.

Dr Asim, a close friend of former president and PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, faces three cases – one pertaining to facilitating terrorism and two others about corruption of over Rs450 billion.

He is accused of providing shelter to suspected terrorists belonging to Muttahida Qaumi Movement, notorious gangs based in Lyari and others affiliated with religious outfits at Ziauddin Hospitals in North Nazimabad and Clifton.



Other allegations levelled against him are about receiving kickbacks, embezzling funds and misusing his authority as minister for petroleum in the previous government of PPP in the Centre. The overall amount involved in this is said to be Rs479.5 billion.

Dr Asim was released on bail eventually by the Sindh High Court (SHC) on March 31 after 19 months of captivity in the custody of Rangers and National Accountability Bureau and then in prison.

The former petroleum adviser has been complaining of back pain since his incarceration, approaching the court to seek permission for treatment. According to him, he wants to get disc replacement surgery and no hospital in the country offered this service.

Arguing on this application, special public prosecutor Sheikh Sajid Mehmoob, who represented the Rangers – the complainant – in the terrorism facilitation case, said that if allowed to travel, Dr Asim would not return to the country.



Interestingly, the prosecutor, Ayaaz Hussain, tasked this case by the Sindh government, did not oppose the application and said that he had no objection on the accused travelling abroad.

Meanwhile, Dr Asim, as he does most of the times, addressed the court and insisted that he sought permission for only two weeks. In reply to the judge’s query about what surety he was submitting with the court, he said that he would give his hospitals to the country as guarantee for this return.

Approving the plea, the judge asked Dr Asim to submit a sum of Rs2 million with the court and observed that if he did not return within two weeks of his departure, the state shall take over his hospitals into its fold.

Return of passport

Dr Asim approached the SHC on Saturday, seeking removal of his name from the Exit Control List (ECL) and the return of his Pakistani and Canadian passports to travel abroad for treatment.



In the application, Dr Asim said he was granted bail in the case relating to treatment and sheltering of terrorists at his private hospitals in Karachi in February this year. However, he was directed to deposit Rs2.5 million surety and his original Pakistani and Canadian passports. The court had also directed the interior ministry to place his name on the ECL.

The applicant said bail was granted to him only on medical grounds, whereby he was required to undergo a disc replacement surgery in addition to cardiac issue.

The lawyer informed the court that Dr Asim had contacted the relevant hospital/doctor, who needed to examine him and proceed with the surgery in England while he had to proceed to Italy for examination by doctors for his cardiac issue.



However, he argued that since the passports of the petitioner had been deposited with the Nazir (official) of the SHC and direction had been given for the placement of the name of the petitioner on the ECL, it was impossible for the petitioner to leave the country.

Therefore, the court was pleaded to direct its Nazir to return the two passports of Dr Asim and also direct the removal of his name from the ECL.

The application is likely to be taken up by a two-judge bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar, on Monday (tomorrow).