Summary The court will call witnesses in the next hearing for cross examination
KARACHI (Dunya News) – Accountability court (AC) has indicted former federal petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain in corruption reference pertaining to Rs 462 billion funds, Dunya News reported Friday
Pakistan People s Party’s (PPP) Dr Asim was presented before the court amid tight security.
The ex-minister among other alleged corrupt officials pleaded not guilty to the accusations. Secretary petroleum Chaudhry Ijaz was also present in 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.
The court has called witnesses in the next hearing for cross examination on May 14.
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 meter 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 enduing 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 terrorism 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.
Meanwhile, National Accountability Bureau filed an anti-corruption case against him. Another case of alleged corruption during his tenure in authority at Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) was launched against him by the bureau after that.
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