NAB REFERENCE AGAINST DR ASIM MALAFIDE, SHOULD BE SET ASIDE: DEFENCE COUNSEL 

By Nasir Mahmood

KARACHI: Hearing in NAB reference No.13/2016 against former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain and others in the Accountability Court IV was deferred till 16th Feb while hearing in reference No.19/2016 of JJVL was adjourned to February 18. In reference No. 13/2016, UBL Manager and prosecution witness Mohammad Akram appeared with all his documents but the court issued directives that prosecution lawyer and the advocates from all the accused should sit together to sort out record of 3,500 pages through indexation with all subjects. Then on next date it could be heard for which the hearing was adjourned for 16th February. In this case one private application was moved by Ather Hussain under section 265-A, it would be also heard on 16 February, because the prosecution lawyer was not prepared to attend it. In reference No.19/2016 of JJVL application under section 265-C & D was moved by Advocate Anwar Mansoor. The hearing has been completed on 265-C, and the court has kept it for next date for hearing on 265-D. Its rebuttal would be held on next date of hearing (18th February) by prosecution lawyer Malik Altaf. During Saturday’s hearing Anwar Mansoor Khan stated a person namely Dr Anwar Sehto was the complainant in reference No.19/2016 but the prosecution has kept him out of picture. He was employed in the SSGCL but removed from the service, and yet not restored therefore, he was made a complainant by the NAB. There were five cases but all were not brought into the knowledge of court. The most interesting fact is that the case period mentioned by NAB reference is from 2005 to 2009 but its record is not produced while Dr Asim was not minister of petroleum during that period. His tenure as minister was the year 2012-13 only and this fact is concealed from the court.