KARACHI: The fourth bench of the Sindh High Court declined on Monday to proceed with the bail plea of former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain and others in a case pertaining to treatment and harboring of outlaws. The bench comprising of Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto and Muhammad Karim Agha Khan referred the matter to SHC Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah to place it before another bench. Dr Asim, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders Waseem Akhtar, Rauf Siddiqui, Pak Sarzameen Party’s (PSP) Anis Kaimkhani, and Pasban Pakistan’s general secretary, Usman Moazzam had approached the SHC seeking bail in a criminal case relating to treating and harbouring of terrorists. All the accused are behind bars as their bail pleas had been rejected by an anti-terrorism court. In the plea, the applicants maintained that they were implicated in the case. The case against them was politicaly motivated, they added while requesting the court to release them on bail. According to the prosecution, Dr Asim had provided medical treatment to alleged terrorists who belonged to MQM and Lyari gang at his private Hospital and arranged for their shelter. The FIR registered by the Rangers alleged that Dr Asim did all this on the instructions of the leaders of MQM and PPP which include Waseem Akhtar, Rauf Siddiqui, Anis Kaimkhani, Abdul Qadir Patel.