KARACHI: Former Petroleum Minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Dr Asim Hussain is likely to be released from prison on Thursday (today).
The bail was approved against surety bonds of Rs500,000 by the Sindh High Court on Wednesday, in two corruption references filed against him by the National Accountability Bureau.
Dr Asim has been ordered to submit his Pakistani and Canadian passports to the court.
His counsel, Anwar Mansoor Khan, had informed the judges that his client’s health condition was worsening and he required complete rest and medical treatment. Dr Asim is currently undergoing treatment at the National Institute of Cardiovascular diseases.
Dr Asim, a close aide of former President and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, faces several charges including corruption references filed by NAB of Rs 479 billion. He is also alleged to have provided treatment and protection to terrorists at a hospital owned by him.
According to NAB, Dr Asim created artificial shortage of gas during his tenure as a result urea fertilizer prices skyrocketed and touched Rs1, 830 from just Rs850.
Due to this, the government provided a subsidy on urea import which caused Rs450 billion loss to national exchequer from 2012 to 2013.
Dr Asim also acquired land illegally for establishment of Ziauddin Hospital, according to the NAB document present in court in May last year.
In a video clip in June 2016 he levelled serious allegations against PPP’s Owais Muzaffar alias Tappi, accusing him of being involved in corruption. However, he maintains he was tortured to extract confessional statement.
ANOTHER PMLN PPP DEAL! These shameless politicians will even sell their families for some money.
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