KARACHI: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday informed the Sindh High Court that Dr Asim Hussain, a former petroleum minister and close aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari, caused a loss of over Rs450 billion to the national exchequer by his corrupt practices in the fertilizer sector alone.

The NAB in its comments on a petition of Dr Asim’s daughter against her father’s detention stated that the interned PPP leader also caused a loss of over Rs12 billion through illegal land allotments and money laundering.

Opposing release of the former petroleum minister, the NAB submitted that the references relating to corruption in the fertilizer sector, illegal land allotments and money laundering were pending disposal in court.

Dr Nida Hussain in her petition submitted that her father was under immense stress due to cases against him.

She said the NAB was keeping her father in its custody without any legal authority as the proceedings under Section 24 of the NAB Ordinance were not conducted, which was a violation of Article 10-A of the constitution.

The petitioner asked the court to declare her father’s detention by the NAB illegal and order his release on bail.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2016