Third SHC judge refuses to hear bail pleas of Dr Asim, co-accused

The Sindh High Court (SHC) had to yet again adjourn hearing of bail applications of former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain and other co-accused as, for the third time, a judge recused himself from being a member of the bench hearing the case.

A SHC division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, on Thursday, adjourned the hearing after Justice Arshad Hussain Khan excused himself from hearing the bail applications of Dr Asim and co accused – Pak Sarzameen Party’s (PSP) Anis Qaimkhani, Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) Rauf Siddiqui, Pasban’s Usman Moazzam and Pakistan People’s Party’s  (PPP) Qadir Patel.

Justice Khan, the third judge to have refused to hear the pleas, requested for the case to not be fixed for hearing before the bench on which he was a member. The court had to then refer the matter to SHC’s chief justice for constitution of a fresh bench for hearing the bail applications.

According to prosecution, Dr Asim, a close aide of PPP co-chairman and former President Asif Ali Zardari, had provided medical treatment to terrorists of banned outfits, MQM and Lyari gangs at his private hospital as well as arranged for their shelter. 

The FIR of the case registered by Rangers alleged that Dr Asim had done all of this on instructions from MQM leaders which included provincial minister Rauf Siddiqui, city mayor Waseem Akhtar, Saleem Shehzad and now PSP leader Anis Qaimkhani, and PPP’s Qadir Patel.