Hearing on Dr Asim’s plea adjourned

He has been seeking removal of name from ECL and permission to travel abroad

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) adjourned on Tuesday the hearing of a plea filed by former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain, seeking removal of his name from the Exit Control List (ECL) and permission to travel abroad for medical treatment.

The SHC division bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar, put off the hearing till May 15 as the interior ministry submitted its reply sought on a previous hearing over the plea.

The ministry told that the bench that Dr Asim’s name was placed on ECL on April 6 on the directives of the SHC, which granted him bail in two cases of corruption involving more than Rs450 billion.



After hearing the arguments, a division bench adjourned the matter instead of issuing a directive, observing that it wanted replies from the deputy attorney-general and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor.

His lawyer, Sardar Latif Khosa argued before the bench that his client was recommended by his doctors for a spinal surgery that would be done abroad. He submitted documents in the court, which stated a medical examination of his client was scheduled on May 12 in London. Khosa requested the court to permit Dr Asim to go abroad, citing the reference to the similar cases of former president General (retired) Pervez Musharraf and model Ayyan Ali.

Dr Asim is currently on bail. His Pakistani and Canadian passports are, however, with the courts.