KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain was on Saturday allowed by an accountability court to travel abroad for medical treatment.
According to details, Dr Asim and other suspects appeared before the court in a reference pertaining to the corruption of Rs17 billion in allotment of tenders.
During the hearing, Hussain submitted a plea in the court seeking permission to travel abroad on medical grounds, which was granted. The accountability judge permitted the PPP leader to travel abroad from Nov 27 to Dec 20.
Hussain – a close confidante of former president Asif Ali Zardari – was placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) in 2015, however, his name has been struck off multiple times on medical grounds.
An accountability court had earlier allowed him to travel outside the country for the same reason.
Hussain is facing two corruption references pertaining to alleged corruption of over Rs460 billion through fraudulent allotment of land for expansion of his hospital and money laundering.
The graft reference – in which the former HEC chief was granted permission to travel abroad – relates to the awarding of contracts for five gas fields to Jamshoro Joint Venture Limited.