SHC dismisses Dr Asim’s plea against travel ban

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday dismissed a petition filed by former federal minister Dr. Asim Hussain against the placement of his name in the Exit Control List.

The PPP leader had filed an application for the deletion of his name from the Exit Control List and return of his passport from the SHC following the grant of bail to him by the SHC in Rs470 billion corruption cases on medical grounds. The court while granting bail had directed the interior ministry to place the name of Dr. Asim on the ECL.

The SHC’s division bench, headed by Justice Mohammad Junaid Ghaffar, observed that the petition was not maintainable as placement of the petitioner’s name in the ECL was ordered after considering all the facts and circumstances by the court. The court observed that the bail order had attained finality and it could not be modified by the court.

Dr. Hussain, who was released on bail in two National Accountability Bureau’s Rs470 billion corruption references on March 29, submitted that he was suffering from various ailments and required orthopedic spinal surgery, facility for which was not available in       Pakistan. He submitted that his name was placed in the ECL, which was contrary to the law as he wanted to travel abroad for medical treatment and requested the court to delete his name from the ECL.

Petitioner’s counsel Latif Khosa claimed that Dr. Asim had an appointment with doctors in the UK and his life could be in danger if he was not allowed medical treatment abroad. He submitted that the petitioner would return after medical treatment, requesting the court to allow him to travel abroad for medical treatment.

The National Accountability Bureau and the Ministry of Interior, however, had opposed the application for the return of the passport and removal of his name from the Exit Control List, submitting that the application was pre-planned to avoid criminal trial under the camouflage of so-called medical grounds.