KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Dr Asim Hussain has moved the Sindh High Court to get permission to travel abroad for his medical treatment. Dr Asim petitioned the high court, requesting it to issue orders for the removal of his name from the Exit Control List. The PPP leader was released on April 1 after about 19 months of imprisonment when the SHC granted him bail in two corruption references. Dr Asim is facing two corruption cases for allegedly depriving the public exchequer of Rs 462 million by misusing his authority to get land allotted illegally, encroaching upon the state land for expansion of Dr Ziauddin Hospital, money laundering, illegally awarding multi-billion gas processing contracts and receiving kickbacks. His lawyer submitted that a medical board set up to examine the health of Dr Asim had advised him for treatment abroad. He needed lumbar disc replacement surgery which is not possible in Pakistan, the counsel said while quoting the nine-member medical board. He pleaded the judges to allow his client to travel abroad to have medical treatment. Earlier, the division bench had granted bail to Dr Asim with directions to deposit both his passports – Canadian and Pakistani – along with the surety amount of Rs 2.5 million in each case. Following the court order, the SHC registrar had written a letter to the interior secretary, asking him not to issue Dr Asim a duplicate or fresh passport as well as place his name on the exit control list (ECL).