PHOTO: EXPRESS
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued on Monday notices to the interior secretary and others on an application seeking removal of former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain's name from the Exit Control List (ECL) and the return of his Pakistani and Canadian passports to travel abroad for medical treatment.
A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar, directed them to file comments by April 25.
Dr Asim, the president of the Pakistan Peoples Party Karachi division and a close aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari, had moved the court seeking removal of his name from the ECL and for the return of his passports to travel abroad for medical treatment.
Dr Asim walks free after 19 months in jail
In the application, he said he had been granted bail in a case relating to the 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 on medical grounds, whereby he was required to undergo a disc replacement surgery in addition to suffering cardiac issues.
The lawyer said in both the medical issues, especially the spinal problem, he required a disc replacement surgery, which cannot be done in Pakistan and therefore he had to be treated abroad. Even the cardiac issue was liable to be treated abroad, added the lawyer.
Split judgment given in Dr Asim’s bail plea
It was informed that Dr Asim had contacted the doctor who will examine him and proceed with the surgery in England, while he had to travel to Italy for examination by doctors for the cardiac issue.
However, he argued on account of the fact that the passports of the petitioner had been deposited with the SHC's nazir and direction had been given for the placement of his name 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 and also direct the removal of Dr Asim's name from the ECL.
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