The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the Interior Ministry to strike PPP leader Dr Asim Hussain's name off the Exit Control List (ECL), allowing him to travel abroad for medical treatment.

Justice Masheer Alam and Justice Qazi Faez Isa heard the case regarding the removal of Dr Asim's name from the no-fly list.

The PPP leader had travelled abroad for medical treatment earlier this year, but had returned within the time period stipulated by the court, his lawyer Sardar Latif Khosa had said during the last hearing of the case.

However, as he appeared healthy, his name was put on the ECL again upon his return to Pakistan.

Dr Asim's lawyer earlier told the court that his client's flight had initially been scheduled for Nov 9, but was pushed ahead to Nov 21 as his name was on the ECL.

In today's hearing, Justice Isa raised questions about why the law restricting people from flying out of the country was not being applied uniformly to everyone.

The judge implied that certain individuals who have left the country are involved in a number of suspicious activities.

"Traitors and people involved in other serious cases are all sitting abroad," he observed. "Have any steps been taken to bring them back to Pakistan?" he asked.

Dr Asim Hussain was taken into Rangers custody in August 2015. After spending 19 months in detention, he was released from prison on the orders of the Sindh High Court in March 2017.

He had been booked on the complaint of the paramilitary force for allegedly treating and harbouring suspected terrorists at the North Nazimabad and Clifton branches of his hospital at the behest of some MQM and PPP leaders.

Corruption references had also been filed against the former minister by NAB for allegedly causing massive losses to the national exchequer through corrupt practices.