PPP's bigwig Dr Asim allowed to go abroad for 'medical treatment'

KARACHI: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday ordered to remove Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Dr Asim Hussain’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL) and let him travel abroad for medical treatment, ARY News reported.

“The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has not challenged the medical report and we cannot deprive somebody from undergoing medical treatment,” the court said.

The apex court has allowed him to get medical treatment for one month and then come back and once he would be back his name would again be placed on ECL, it added.

The former petroleum minister was accused of harbouring and treating terrorists at his hospitals in Karachi. He was also accused of massive money embezzlement. He was bailed on medical grounds.

Read More: SC seeks interior ministry’s reply over Dr Asim’s name on ECL

During the hearing, the court had also asked that why he did not go for medical checkup when he was a minister. To which, Dr Asim’s counsel Latif Khosa said then Asim Hussain was a heart patient and now he had back pain as well.

Dr Asim’s counsel Latif Khosa apprised the bench that the doctors have recommended ‘artificial spinal disc replacement’ to his client since he has been suffering from back ailment.

During arguments Justice Dost Muhammed said whomever the NAB arrests falls ill and whoever went abroad in the name of medical assistance would not return.

Latif Khosa said the government would not let Asim go abroad for treatment and wanted him to die here.

In June, the PPP Karachi president had suffered a major setback when the Sindh High Court (SHC) turned down his plea for permission to have treatment abroad.

A division bench headed by Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar had pronounced its verdict- dismissing the petition of the PPP leader.