Rangers free Patel after lengthy grilling

Ex-PPP Karachi chief and one of the accused in a case of facilitating terror arrived in Karachi from Dubai on Tuesday

KARACHI: Former Pakistan Peoples Party Karachi president Qadir Patel was released on Thursday by paramilitary Rangers after an eight-hour-long detention.

Patel, one of the accused in a case of facilitating terror, was summoned by Rangers on Thursday for interrogation about his alleged involvement. Former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain, in the case pertaining to providing medical assistance to terrorists, had named Qadir Patel.



Patel had arrived in Karachi on Tuesday night from Dubai. Besides Dr Asim Hussain’s case, he is also suspected of assisting criminals. The information was gathered during the interrogation of chief of the banned Peoples Amn Committee Uzair Baloch, who is already in 90-day preventive custody of Rangers.

Patel arrived at the Rangers’ Headquarters near 11am on Thursday from where he was shifted to Mitha Ram Hostel, which has already been declared a sub-jail where. Patel was interrogated about his alleged role in gangland violence, land grabbing and corruption. Insiders said that Uzair was also present during Patel’s interrogation. They said that Patel conceded that several PPP leaders used to seek help from PAC chief.

According to reports, Uzair Baloch was involved in murders of Benazir Bhutto’s security chief Khalid Shahenshah and Bilawal House’s security in-charge Bilal Shaikh. Baloch claimed he was directed by some top PPP leaders. But Patel said that he had no knowledge about them. Rangers’ officials also questioned him about his sources of income, but he was unable to give a proper answer.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 15^th, 2016.