Dr. Asim indicted in Rs. 462 Billion Corruption Case

Accountability court (AC) has indicted former Federal Petroleum Minister Dr. Asim Hussain in a corruption of Rs. 462 billion corruption case against him.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Dr. Asim was presented before the court amid tight security.

The senior Pakistan People’s Party leader is facing charges of abetting terrorists and corruption.

The ex-minister among other alleged corrupt officials pleaded not guilty to the accusations. Secretary Petroleum Chaudhry Ijaz was also present at the hearing. While responding to court’s question, Dr. Hussain alleged National Accountability Bureau (NAB) of submitting fake documents in the case against him. Islamabad High Court (IHC) has already concluded the case, he added.

However, Dr. Asim’s counsel rejected the charges. The court will summon other witnesses and evidence in the next hearing.

While talking to the media before the hearing, Dr. Hussain said that he was a political captive of the ruling political party. Different corrupt persons are roaming around freely with security protocols while he was in jail, he said. The alleged corrupt former minister said that he was given 13 books by the accountability bureau while 12 of those were about metre reading.

He mocked the alleged fake case against him saying that the bureau would also make him face a bogus case for stealing someone’s cattle.

He said that a commission was formed to probe corrupt people while he was enduring captivity. He demanded the government to establish a judicial commission to probe embezzlement in funds on his part.

Dr. Hussain was copped from Sindh Higher Education Commission (HEC) in August last year. Rangers had acquired a 90-day remand of the alleged criminal and a terrorist case was lodged in North Nazimabad Police Station in November.

He is facing a terror case in an anti-terrorism court (ATC) for alleged treatment of target killers in his hospital in Karachi, Dr. Ziauddin Hospital. The case in North Nazimabad Police Station includes anti-terrorism sections.

The ex-minister is accused of providing safe havens to terrorists and target killers belonging to armed wings of political parties in Sindh’s capital.

According to the prosecution, Dr. Asim, misused his authority as a federal minister, in collusion of other accused, illegally curtailed gas to the agriculture sector to benefit a particular group associated with the fertiliser industry.

In February, the accountability court hearing a corruption case against Dr. Asim had sent him to prison while seeking the investigation report. Dr. Asim is facing an inquiry into alleged misuse of authority in the embezzlement of public money.