NAB submits list of SPAs for hydrotherapy treatment

October 10, 2016
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IS NAB JOKING? DR ASIM HUSSAIN

By Nasir Mahmood

KARACHI: The Accountability Court IV has ordered to send letters of inquiry to the hospitals in the list submitted by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)’s prosecutor whether they had the facility of hydrotherapy treatment. The court also recorded the statement of Amaduddin Chachar, Section Officer, Sindh Revenue Board and adjourned the case till October 15.
On 7th October, the Accountability Court while hearing Dr Asim’s case had directed the NAB to file a list of hospitals having facility of surgery for lumber disc replacement and hydrotherapy. In compliance of the court order, the NAB investigating officer on Saturday’s hearing submitted a list of centers equipped with facility for hydrotherapy in Karachi comprising, Institute of Orthopedics & Surgery PECHS, PNS Shifa Hospital, Burhani Hospital, and the SPAs namely; Amethyst by Roohi Spa, Beyond Bliss facility etc.
Defence counsel for Dr Asim commenting on the said list comprised the massage centers not hospitals. Dr Asim said it showed that the NAB is joking while his treatment was not possible in the government-run hospitals. He complained to the judge that he was being given adulterated medicines in the Jinnah Hospital and requested that he may be sent to Dr Ziauddin or Aga Khan Hospital for treatment. The former petroleum minister said he cannot explain how he was being treated by the NAB. Later, talking to media outside the court, Dr Asim with reference to the NAB list for treatment said it was better to send him to Sindh Club instead of admitting to the listed SPA centers.

Earlier, the prosecution witness Amaduddin was cross examined by defence counsel Amir Raza Naqvi. He told the court that he had cancelled the land allotted to Dr Ziauddin University under the charges that they had not used the allotted land but on the other hand the Aga Khan University Hospital had also not used the land allotted to them, but his office had allotted more land to AKUH while the Board Committee had objected to this action. To a query, the witness agreed that no irregularity or fraud was detected in land allotment record of Ziauddin University.
The witness agreed that show-cause notices were issued to AKUH for not using the allotted land but there was no cancellation unlike the case of the Ziauddin University land. To another query from defence counsel, the prosecution witness Amaduddin agreed that no cancellation of land could be done without issuing notice or giving the chance of hearing to the allottee. But in the case of Ziauddin University land no show-cause notice or any other letter was issued to them nor the allottee was given a chance of hearing, he added.

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