Pasban-e-Pakistan leader arrested in Dr Asim terror facilitation case

ATC re-issues non-bailable arrest warrants for MQM leaders Waseem Akhtar, Saleem Shehzad and Anees Qaimkhani

KARACHI: Police officials on Friday arrested Pasban-e-Pakistan general secretary Usman Moazzam on charges of facilitating treatment to injured terrorists at Dr Asim Hussain's private hospital in Karachi.

“Usman Moazzam has been arrested for his role in treatment of injured terrorists at Dr Asim's Ziauddin Hospital,” an investigation officer told The Express Tribune.



The investigation officer informed an anti-terrorism court in Karachi of the arrest as he filed a report in a case lodged by Rangers against Dr Asim Hussain, three MQM leaders, a PPP leader and Pasban-e-Pakistan general secretary. The absconders have been accused of asking Dr Asim, in his capacity as the head of the Ziauddin Hospitals, to treat on discounted rates the militants injured in encounters with law enforcers and to shelter them.

Last month, an anti-terrorism court in Karachi issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Muttahida Qaumi Moverment’s mayoral candidate Waseem Akhtar, Anis Qaimkhani, Saleem Shahzad, PPP’s Qadir Patel and general secretary of Pasban-e-Pakistan Usman Moazzam.

The IO informed the court that while Rauf Siddiqui has already been granted bail in the respective case, Anees Qaimkhani and Saleem Shahzad are out of the country and hence cannot be arrested.



During the hearing, the court re-issued non-bailable arrest warrants for MQM leaders Waseem Akhtar, Saleem Shehzad and Anees Qaimkhani for January 19.

Dr Asim, chairman of the Sindh Higher Education Commission and a close aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari, is facing charges of abetting and harbouring terrorists at his family-owned hospitals in Karachi.

After spending 90 days in the custody of paramilitary Rangers, who detained him on August 26, Dr Asim was handed over to the Karachi police for further interrogation. The police, however, relieved him of the charges and got him released, sparking a tussle between the federal and provincial governments.