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Thursday March 28, 2024

Dr Asim’s case hearing put off till Feb 21 due to prosecutor’s no-show

By our correspondents
February 17, 2017

An accountability court (AC) on Thursday adjourned the hearing of a Rs462 billion corruption case against former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain till February 21 as the prosecutor representing the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) failed to attend the hearing. 

Former petroleum minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Dr Asim Hussian has submitted an application, requesting the court to issue directives for his medical tests and treatment on an urgent basis. He had informed the court about his medical condition, saying he was facing prostate and kidney problems.

The court had issued notice to a prosecutor of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file his comments on February 17 on the plea of Dr Asim Hussain; however, NAB prosecutor Altaf Khan didn’t appear before the court. The hearing was, therefore, adjourned till February 21.

Talking to journalists outside the courtroom, Dr Asim Hussain said he was being victimised. To query that why he was complaining about victimisation when his own government was present in the province, Dr Asim said he was “a victim of his language and his words on the political issues.”

A close aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari, Dr Asim said he was a man of principles and therefore he was facing allegations.

Criticising the government’s drug policy, he said the substandard medicines should be immediately banned. Dr Asim said he was himself “a victim of provision of fake medicine during the medical treatment”. “Medicines not registered with the World Health Organisation shouldn’t be sold in the market.”