Daily Times

KARACHI: An accountability court adjourned the hearing of two corruption cases against the former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain.

Dr Asim is facing corruption charges 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 and receiving kickbacks.

The court put off until March 18 the Rs 17 billion corruption reference at the request of Dr Asim’s counsel Anwar Mansoor Khan due to his ill-health.

However, it adjourned the hearing of another reference till March 9.

The judge granted the application of suspect Ajaz Chaudhary seeking exemption from appearing in the court for six months. He also directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)’s prosecutor to put forward his argument over the application filed by another suspect seeking to annul the case against him.

The court earlier had indicted former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain along with five others in the Rs 462 billion-corruption reference.

Dr Asim Hussain is also facing the NAB reference for illegally awarding multi-billion gas processing contracts to Jamshoro Joint Venture Limited and thus embezzling Rs 17 billion.

According to the NAB, the accused allowed the JJVL to process gas at different gas fields without conducting an open auction, signing agreements and memorandums of understanding as required by law, thus causing a loss of Rs 17.4 billion to the national exchequer.

Other accused included SSGC managing director Khalid Rehman and former officials Zuhair Siddiqui, Azeem Iqbal, Shoaib Warsi, Yusuf Jamil Ansari and Malik Usman, OGDCL former managing director Basharat Mirza and official, Zahid Bakhtiar and JJVL chief executive officer, Iqbal Z Ahmed.

The former federal minister is also facing a case pertaining to the charges of harbouring criminals and terrorists by financing and providing medical assistances at his hospitals.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders Waseem Akhtar, Rauf Siddiqui, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) leader Anees Qaimkhani, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Qadir Patel, Pakistan Pasban leader Usman Moazzam and others are also facing the same charges before an anti-terrorism court (ATC).