SC seeks NAB reply on removal of Asim’s name from ECL

Ex-petroleum minister accused of embezzling funds worth Rs479b

The Supreme Court on Monday sought a reply from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday regarding removal of the name of Dr Asim Hussain from the Exit Control List (ECL).

A two-member bench, headed by Justice Mushir Alam and comprising Justice Qazi Faez Isa, heard the former petroleum minister’s petition related to removal of his name from the ECL.

Reiterating the frail condition of Asim’s health, his counsel Latif Khosa said, “Asim is under treatment. He was supposed to leave on November 9, but his flight has been pushed ahead to November 21.”



Khosa also requested the court to set the hearing on Thursday under the leadership of Justice Mushir Alam, to which the two-member bench agreed.

Presenting arguments, Khosa said, “It was on the orders of the court that Asim was allowed to enter a foreign country earlier.”

Asim was asked to return back in a month, and he complied with the order, he added.

In August 2015, Asim — a close aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari — was detained during a raid at the Higher Education Commission office in the Clifton area of Karachi over alleged embezzlement of funds.



Later, the Sindh High Court granted bail to Asim in two corruption references involving as much as Rs479 billion, after his counsel Anwar Mansoor told the court that his client needed medical treatment and complete rest.

One of the references against Asim accuses him of embezzling Rs462 billion while the other Rs17 billion for allegedly awarding illegal contracts of five gas fields in Sindh to Jamshoro Joint Venture Limited.

Asim is accused of concealing assets, granting illegal allotments, misusing authority, carrying out land grabbing and fraud, and giving illegal contracts during his tenure in Sui Southern Gas Pipelines Limited. He is also facing a case in an anti-terrorism court.