Dr Asim Hussain investigation: Rangers, police ordered to respond to plea for impartial inquiry

Dr Asim’s mother apprehended that, in the Rangers’ presence, an impartial inquiry will not be possible

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued on Tuesday notices to the Rangers and police authorities on a petition seeking an impartial inquiry into the corruption case against former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain.

Dr Ejaz Fatima, the mother of Dr Asim, had approached the court apprehending that the Rangers might influence the on-going inquiry initiated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for corruption and police for harbouring terrorists against Dr Asim, a close aide of former president, Asif Ali Zardari.

She maintained that the Rangers had denied her son the opportunity to meet his family and lawyer during his 90-day detention. She also alleged that her son was kept in a dungeon without any light or electricity so as to torture him and extract a false statement out of him.



Fatima recalled that the SHC's administrative judge for anti-terrorism courts, Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, had on November 30, admitted an application by the NAB, allowing them to interrogate her son for corruption while he was in police custody.

Her lawyer, Anwar Mansoor Khan, pointed out that despite the transfer of Dr Asim's custody to police, a large number of paramilitary soldiers, who were also complainants in the case against the former minister, were deployed at the police station. In the Rangers' presence, an independent investigation cannot be done by the police, he claimed. Khan also apprehended that Dr Asim's custody might be given back to the Rangers, adding that if this was done, an impartial inquiry would not be possible.



On Monday, a bench headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto had declined to proceed with the plea, as he had allowed the Rangers plea in the capacity of the ATCs' administrative judge.

On Tuesday another bench, headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, took up the plea and issued notices to the Rangers and police authorities to file their comments by December 15.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2015.