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An Anti-Terrorism Court on Saturday gave the PPP's Dr Asim Hussain, who is currently under trial for multi-billion rupee graft and corruption cases, permission to leave the country for medical treatment after the defendant filed a petition in court requesting the same.
However, the PPP stalwart cannot yet leave the country as an identical petition filed by him to the Sindh High Court is still awaiting a reply.
The SHC is expected to take action on the petition in the next few days, which will determine if Dr Hussain's name will be removed from the Exit Control List or not.
Hussain's petition said a medical board had recommended that he undergo spinal surgery abroad. The petition will be taken up by the SHC in a few day's time, Hussain's counsel said.
The close aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari was released from a sub-jail set up for him at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre on March 31, after spending a little over 19 months in detention.
He was granted bail in two corruption references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for allegedly causing huge losses to the national exchequer through corrupt practices.
Dr Hussain, who was serving as chairman of the Sindh Higher Education Commission, was picked up by Rangers personnel on Aug 26, 2015 for his alleged involvement in offences falling within the ambit of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
He remained in Rangers’ preventive detention for 90 days before being handed over to police in a case registered against him and others for allegedly treating and harbouring suspected terrorists, political militants and gangsters at his hospital as asked by Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader and now Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar, lawmaker Rauf Siddiqui, Saleem Shehzad; Pak Sarzameen Party president Anis Kaimkhani; PPP’s Abdul Qadir Patel, and Pasban Pakistan’s Usman Moazzam.
Later, NAB obtained his custody for interrogation and investigation into his alleged involvement in corruption. One of the two corruption cases pertained to causing a loss of Rs462.5 billion to the exchequer by allegedly misusing his powers, while the other related to the award of gas processing contracts for five fields in lower Sindh without conducting an open auction, incurring a loss of Rs17.34bn to the national exchequer.
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Comments (47) Closed
Apr 15, 2017 03:33pm
Question mark to the LEVIES why did they keep him in prison for so long???has he been punished for his ethnic background??? Charges must be made against those who can not prove any thing...Congrats ,sir Asim and sorry for this inconvenience.
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Apr 15, 2017 03:36pm
A one-way ticket to Dubai or London I bet. None of the others who were granted bail for nominal amount have ever shown up in court in Pakistan, after they are allowed to go abroad.
Why should this guy return to Pakistan to stand trial, if he has billions allegedly stashed abroad to enjoy rest of his life? Makes no sense to let big fish slip out of your hand.
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Apr 15, 2017 03:40pm
There it is again. The classic excuse to seek permission to travel abroad - Medical Treatment!
Seems to me every corrupt somehow catches certain ailments and diseases - after their arrest - which cannot be treated in Pakistan - but anywhere outside the country?
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Apr 15, 2017 03:41pm
A very dark day in the history of Pakistan when someone who ruthlessly plundered national wealth is set free. Thank you once again Zardari Saheb!!!
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Apr 15, 2017 03:43pm
As everyone in the country was expecting the same as per past practice in vogue. Long live Pakistan!!!
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Apr 15, 2017 03:43pm
Tata, bye bye. Dr Asim will never ever come back till Zardari is back on the throne and then only when Dr Asim will not be just flying Pakistan flag at his office, car and residence but also take revenge from all those who put him behind the bars is my solo prediction which none on the face of earth can deny or refute even including Dr Asim himself. Mabrook Dr Asim Iqbal Hadi Zaidi / Kuwait / zaidi4merdiplomat@hotmail.com
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Apr 15, 2017 03:47pm
what a waste of taxpayers money and yes justice will never be served in the country of ourse and powerful and influentials always succeed to extort money out of the mouth of powers and no one can do anything about it.
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Apr 15, 2017 04:03pm
Why does he want to go abroad for medical treatment if he has got his own hospital in Karachi? Furthermore, are the hospitals in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan so old, backward and obsolete that these politicians type leaders don't want to get any treatment there?
Why do these affluent and well to do so-called leaders always prefer to go abroad for treatment instead of utilizing their own healthcare facilities and system which the bulk of the 225 million population is forced to use?
The answers to these intriguing, candid, straight forward, open and frank questions are left to the educated, enlightened, enduring, exclusive and excelling readers and writers of this great DAWN forum, by far, the # one English daily of the world.
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Apr 15, 2017 04:04pm
The deal !
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Apr 15, 2017 04:13pm
If he goes so goes the respect for law in Pakistan.Long live corruption.
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Apr 15, 2017 04:16pm
When ministers and members of the foreign embassies in Pakistan get sick they avail the services of Aga Khan Hospital, Karachi, which is managed by very highly qualified people from Canada. But when the high profile corrupt leader of the nation is arrested, he is allowed to runaway from the country on the basis of treatment overseas. The country's population of 200 Millions are being fooled by PML(N) government.
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Apr 15, 2017 04:16pm
The two biggest corrupt rulers have joined and are together in it to plunder more!
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Apr 15, 2017 04:19pm
@Waaris - Correction:
"Thank you once again Zardari Saheb" and Nawaz too!
Its a muk-muka deal sealed by them both!
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Apr 15, 2017 04:27pm
...they won again. Bye bye Pakistan from Asim. No hope left with this system. Poor became poorer and rich became richer by hook or by crooks.
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Apr 15, 2017 04:32pm
System fails the nation yet again.
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Apr 15, 2017 04:40pm
Muk muka between PPP and PMLN. Expect no justice in Pakistan as long as these parties are in power!!
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Apr 15, 2017 04:42pm
What should the frustrated nation say? Corruption Zindabaad??
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Apr 15, 2017 04:46pm
@Falcon1 yes bring pervez musharaff back
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Apr 15, 2017 04:47pm
I don't know whether to laugh or cry. First it was Sharjeel Memon who was allowed to go abroad with VIP protocol. Then Ayyan Ali was allowed and now Dr. Asim. Hence it is confirmed laws and regulations are only for the poor and one particular most loved political party of Urban Sindh. The rich and the powerful are above the law.
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Apr 15, 2017 05:03pm
Moral of the story is - in Pakistan do criminal and currupt activities on a big scale. You may, occasionally get shaken down the the authorities but if you have done bad things on a big scale you will find the so called 'law enforcement' folks only too happy to cut deals. Principles and the rule-of-law has no place in Pakistan.
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Apr 15, 2017 05:14pm
Either rangers or others who incriminated him should be admonished, or it should be inquired that how much does it cost to legally flee the country after multi billion scams, corruption, and abetting terrorists. It smells rotten.
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Apr 15, 2017 05:43pm
Going abroad is too much of an inconvenience. Sir, we will fix your spine right here with best doctors from around the world made to travel to our country with your hard earned money. You have enough money to buy anything then why travel.
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Apr 15, 2017 05:44pm
And now he will never come back, like Hussain Haqqani and so many others. if there was no evidence against him then how was he kept imprisoned and if he is guilty then how can he be released?
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Apr 15, 2017 06:17pm
Here you go, get fat on the back of struggling people and go abroad and enjoy. What a country.
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Apr 15, 2017 06:25pm
Why don't these economic terrorists are not tried who have jeopardize the future of Pakistan? All our institutions are on the same page when it comes to making political deals-You scratch my back, I scratch yours!
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Apr 15, 2017 06:31pm
GA pakistan......Big ones all goes in line like musharaf go and enjoy billions of dollars slept nation is here to bear your bores....jahleen are we the ever insulted...
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Apr 15, 2017 06:32pm
i think it is enough for him. he was too much humiliated. i think he will not commit any type of heinous act next.
hope for best. long live pakistan
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Apr 15, 2017 06:38pm
don't let him go. he has stolen billions meant for people of Sindh for basic rights.
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Apr 15, 2017 06:47pm
Bye Bye Pakistan. I am not going to comeback.
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Apr 15, 2017 07:00pm
Rs. Billions of graft, corruption leveled against him. Now court is contemplating his request to leave the country so he can get medical treatment. It is like saying 'you are free , go, fly out , you are free '. Once out of the country, he is gone until cases are dropped. Law moves mysteriously in our country.
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Apr 15, 2017 07:05pm
Elite won; rule of law defeated...
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Apr 15, 2017 07:14pm
Mubarak ho Pakistanio. You all deserve this. You deserve corrupt PM and everyone. The whole society is corrupted. Dont ever complain again.
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Apr 15, 2017 07:29pm
Three cheers for AAZardari after returning to Pakistan he so brilliantly orchestrated the bail for Shirjeel Memon, now one way ticket to freedom for his closest friend Dr.Asim Hussain. Dichotomy of the law, one for a rich other for a poor.
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Apr 15, 2017 07:46pm
What a joke and Imran khan is absolutely true about them they are supporting each other
before General Election deal has been done to support between PPP and PML(N)
People of Pakistan should vote next time carefully or be the victim of such activities for ever
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Apr 15, 2017 08:01pm
Rob Pakistan's Rs.450 Billion. Bribe the medical board and get a certificate for treatment abroad. Take one way ticket and leave for good. This has been going on with Pakistan for the last 30 years. I request the SC to stop this person from going abroad. He should be asked to deposit Rs.450 billion as a surety bond and promise to come back and face the trial.
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Apr 15, 2017 08:04pm
Gone forever!
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Apr 15, 2017 08:13pm
@karachi wala
Your Statements is more polictically
Do you Think all our Polictically Leader are Clean
If not than We should see all leader with Same eye
Dr Asim will be definately Corrupt & Case Proceeding at Court
is done by Public Prosecutor which is Govt Employee Do you think
PPP govt run Sindh will allow their Own Leader to be Punish
Come On You need to know why our Leader goes overseas Not for Medical
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Apr 15, 2017 08:15pm
Fly out and never to return. I see Pakistan is being slowly transformed into a wilderness; I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too. I feel the suffering of millions dying without food and shelter. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more to my bleagured Pakistan. May God grant us sanity..If we never change things by fighting the existing reality.we will never change the status quo
To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.
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Apr 15, 2017 08:20pm
Exit control is a illegal rule to start with. It can only be used for milatary officials who abandon their posts. All private citizens can only be asked by a court to submit their passports if it by law is required depending on nature of case. This practice by Govt must be stopped by courts, as it fundamentally flawed being arbitrary and a punishment without proper judicial review. People who have been withdrawn from the exit control by department originally asking for it, have to go to interior ministry in Islamabad to have to formally removed or go to high courts. This is like some communist era rule still lingering in 2017 only in Pakistan.
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Apr 15, 2017 08:25pm
Is it accountability? Can we ever have a true accountability? What for we are keeping high profile NAB if it cannot perform its basic functions? Is this not at least 20 times bigger fraud than the much hyped and cried Panama papers? Highly disturbing insult to the hapless citizen of this so named Land of the Pure!
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Apr 15, 2017 08:47pm
InshAllah he's not going anywhere.
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Apr 15, 2017 08:55pm
@Khalid we are committed corrupt criminal people we will let him go on red carpet as per customs
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Apr 15, 2017 08:57pm
We are committed corrupt criminal people we will let him go on red carpet as per customs
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Apr 15, 2017 09:00pm
Chaudry Sahib, Murder is Murder, whether it is cold blooded or hot blooded, whatever that may means. You always give very Joshilay Biyaans like your own blood is boiling; and then your blood cool off and you wait and get ready for the next tragedy. Some secure job you have!
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Apr 16, 2017 03:05am
@ABE ,He is gone for ever or until a friendly Fed. Gov't come along. He is freed like many corrupt so called leaders such as Gen. Musharraf , etc.
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Apr 16, 2017 03:19am
@ABE .Dr Asim Hussain will not go abroad,his mother is ill these days, and unless she's well Dr Asim will remain here in Karachi.
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Apr 16, 2017 09:05am
@Jaguar now in english and the proof..
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