The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday reserved its verdict on the bail plea of Dr Asim Hussain, a leader of the Pakistan People's Party and close aide of former president Asif Zardari, in a massive embezzlement case.
Dr Asim along with other accused has been nominated in corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for allegedly depriving the public of Rs 462.5 billion (ie 4.412 billion US dollars) by misusing his authority as petroleum minister.
The SHC bench, headed by Justice Syed Muhammad Farooq Shah, reserved its verdict after the applicant's counsel Anwar Mansoor and the NAB's prosecutor completed their arguments. The date of judgement's pronouncement will be fixed later.
Dr Asim's lawyer argued that he should be granted bail on medical basis as he is going through serious illness and needed proper treatment. My client has been advised for back surgery, hydrotherapy and physiotherapy, he added.
While opposing the plea, the NAB's prosecutor intervened and stated that the accused is being provided all medical facilities and that too from his recommended specialist doctors.
'Is your client recommended for treatment abroad?', the court asked Anwar Mansoor. 'No, he has not been advised at the present time but there is a possibility that he may need a treatment out of the country.', Dr Asim's lawyer replied. After hearing the arguments from both sides, the judges reserved their verdict which would be announced later.
According to the investigators, Dr Asim, while misusing his powers as Petroleum Minister, illegally curtailed gas to agriculture sector to benefit a particular group associated with the fertilizer industry. The NAB had submitted that with this act of Dr Asim, the price of fertilizer was arbitrarily hiked in the country and he received kickbacks in return.
The same reference had also alleged the charges of money laundering, public fraud and land scam against the former minister. The overall lost mentioned in the reference to national exchequer from Dr Asim stands at Rs 462.5 billion, which amounts to 4.412 billion US dollars.
Apart from embezzling charges, Dr Asim is also facing charges of providing medical facilities to terrorists in two branches of Ziauddin Hospital but he has already been bailed out in the terrorism case.