Police withdraw terror charges against Dr Asim

KARACHI: Police on Thursday said it is withdrawing all terror-related charges against former petroleum minister and head of the Higher Education Commission in Sindh Dr Asim Hussain after completing its investigations.

An anti-terrorism court is expected to transfer his custody to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Friday (today).



A close aide to former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Dr Asim had been detained by the paramilitary Rangers on August 26.

He, along with 27 others, had been accused of facilitating terrorism by providing treatment to terrorists — militants working for political and religious groups — who were injured in shootouts with the law enforcers or with rival groups.

When his 90-day detention expired on November 26, Dr Asim was transferred to police custody for further investigations. On Thursday, however, police said they were withdrawing charges against the PPP leader.



DIG Karachi West Feroz Shah said that they had completed their investigations and were withdrawing charges against Dr Asim under Section 497. He added that they could not find any solid evidence to frame charges against the ex-petroleum minister.

Shah added that NAB had already obtained a warrant for Dr Asim’s arrest thus his custody would be transferred to the accountability body.  However, when NAB reached the Gulberg police station on Thursday night, where Dr Asim is held, they ran into legal snags.

An investigation officer argued that Dr Asim’s custody could not be transferred without first informing the court.  The deadlock has persisted till the filing of this report.



A large contingent of Rangers had also reached the precinct. It is expected that when Dr Asim is presented in court on Friday, he will be remanded into NAB’s custody.

On November 30, NAB had sought permission from the anti-terrorism court, where cases against Dr Asim were being heard, to question the former petroleum minister in connection with graft references.

The trial court has allowed the accountability body to join the investigations.


Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2015.