KARACHI: The bail plea of Dr Asim Hussain, a leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party and close aide of former president Asif Zardari, was put off yet again as one of the members of the division bench of Sindh High Court rescued himself from the bench.
Dr Asim is facing the charges of depriving the public exchequer of Rs462 million by misusing his authority to get land allotted illegally, encroaching upon the state land for expansion of Dr Ziauddin Hospital, money laundering and receiving kickbacks.
The bail plea was fixed before a bench comprising of Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Adnan Karim Memon for hearing. However, the bench referred the matter to the SHC chief justice for placing the same before anther bench for disposal after Justice Memon rescued himself from the bench.
“I have requested the chief justice to constitute a special bench to hear and decide the bail plea and he has agreed to do so,” said Barrister Latif Khosa, Dr Asim’s lawyer.
Another bench had earlier on Dec 20 adjourned the hearing after the NAB prosecutor pointed out that the investigation officer of the case was not present in the court to assist him. During the previous hearing, Khosa had contended that ailing PPP leader was already granted bail in another case on the medical grounds. Dr Asim had been behind bars for last one and half year and was seriously ill. He was shifted to the ICU of the NICVD due to a sudden heart ailment. The counsel said that his client was awaiting disc surgery and needs bail to undergo the same.
Other accused who are facing charges are former petroleum secretary Muhammad Ejaz Chaudhry, administrator of Ziauddin Medical Centre, Dubai Abdul Hameed, former directors of the Karachi Development Authority Syed Athar Hussain and Masod Haider and Karachi Dock Labour Board’s former chief executive officer Safdar Hussain.
