Dr Asim case: SHC judge declines hearing Kaimkhani, Siddiqui’s bail plea

KARACHI: A Sindh High Court (SHC) division bench declined hearing bail applications filed by leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) in a case relating to the treatment and sheltering of terrorists.

Lawyers said the bench’s head, Justice Abdul Rasool Memon, declined to hear the matter after the special public prosecutor, Ayaz Ahmed Tunio, pointed out that the bail application of Dr Asim Hussain was also filed jointly with bail pleas of MQM leader Abdul Rauf Siddiqui and PSP leader Anis Kaimkhani.

The Rangers had lodged a case against Dr Asim for treating criminals at his private hospital. The paramilitary force alleged that MQM’s Wasim Akhtar and Siddiqui, PSP’s Kaimkhani, Pakistan Peoples Party’s Abdul Qadir Patel and Pasban Pakistan’s general-secretary Usman Moazzam had sought favours from Dr Asim on treatment of their injured party workers.

On July 19, an anti-terrorism court had rejected their bail applications and all of them were sent to jail.

In their petitions, Sidiqui and Kaimkhani had denied the allegations levelled against them, arguing that the trial court had erred in passing the order, and requested post-arrest bail.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2016.