Court unseals record of treatment of alleged terrorists in Dr Asim case

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court unsealed on Saturday some investigation documents of Dr Asim Hussain’s case, showing the record of treatment of alleged terrorists and names of people who financed them.

More big names are likely to surface when the documents go public in the case of abetting terrorism and money laundering framed against former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain on the complaint of paramilitary Rangers.



Dr Asim, who runs the chain of Ziauddin Hospital, is accused of providing medical treatment to alleged criminals and militants at his private health facilities thus protecting them off from law enforcers.

The documents seized by the first investigating officer of the case Rao Zulfiqar, also contain the criminal record of suspects who were provided medical treatment at Ziauddin Hospital. It is likely that the court will provide copies of these documents to defence as required under the Section 265 of the criminal procedure code.

During the hearing, the counsel representing the Rangers, Rana Khalid, expressed dissatisfaction and lack of confidence on the current IO, DSP Altaf Hussain. Khalid blamed the DSP for allegedly damaging the case’s investigations.

DSP Hussain is the same officer who had released Dr Asim for lack of evidence in initial stages of the case. However, Hussain’s move was turned down by the administrative ATC judge as he observed that prima facie there was sufficient incriminating evidence against Dr Asim.



During the Saturday’s hearing only investigating officer and relevant lawyers were allowed inside the courtroom and media persons were barred from entering.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2016.