Dr Asim case: ATC reserves order on bail plea

Former petroleum minister, activist Usman Moazzam facing charges of facilitating terrorists

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court reserved on Saturday its order on the bail plea of former petroleum minister Dr Asim and political activist Usman Moazzam, after hearing arguments from defence and prosecution sides.

Dr Asim, owner of Ziauddin hospitals, and Moazzam, the leader of religio-political group Pasban, are facing charges of facilitating terrorists and are currently in jail. The case against the accused is about allegedly providing medical treatment to political and religious 'militants' at Ziauddin Hospitals. It is maintained that the suspected militants were 'deliberately' screened off from law enforcement by the hospital management, on Dr Asim's directions.

Meanwhile, mayor-nominee Wasim Akhtar, former Muttahida Qaumi Movement minister Rauf Siddiqui, Qadir Patel of Pakistan Peoples Party and Anis Kaimkhani of Pak Sarzameen Party are on bail. They have been nominated in the case for allegedly asking Dr Asim favours for the suspects who were being treated there. The prosecution said that the accused politicians referred these alleged militants to the hospitals and also paid their bills.

At the outset of the hearing, Dr Asim's attorney, Amir Raza Naqvi, argued that his client was being victimised in the captivity of law enforcers. He said that Dr Asim had been behind the bars since more than nine months and his physical and mental conditions were worsening day by day. Naqvi said that the documents held as evidence were either tampered with or contained false information. He added that one witness, Dr Yusuf Sattar, who recorded his statement in November last year, was forced to testify. He added that Sattar was picked up by the Rangers from Ziauddin hospital on August 29 and after that incident he disappeared. The lawyer said that three months later Sattar returned and recorded his statement and termed his comment to be a 'forced statement.'

Criticising the contents of joint-interrogation team's (JIT) report, Naqvi said that the most dangerous militant named in this report was Shiraz Comrade, an alleged gangster from Lyari. The lawyer added that according to the report, he was 82 years old when admitted to Ziauddin Hospital. He questioned that how someone of that age can be involved in activities such as gang war, murder, kidnapping and extortion. Moazzam's counsel, Muhammad Farooq, asserted that his client was implicated in the case for filing a petition against the Rangers picking his son from his residence without mentioning any charges. However, Rangers counsel Rana Khalid argued that the prime suspect, Dr Asim, had already confessed to the JIT about providing treatment to 'terrorists' on concessional rates.

Khalid added that Dr Asim has been given best medical aid, was allowed to meet anyone he wanted to and has also been using internet facility. The Rangers attorney argued that the prosecution managed to obtain 'substantial' evidences but the police officer, who was initially tasked the investigations of the case, was changed with mala fide intention. The officer, who is now investigating the case, is biased because he removed some documents from the prosecution data, the lawyer claimed.After listening to arguments from both the sides, the judge reserved the order until the next hearing on June 18.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2016.