Dr Asim’s video leak: Anti-terrorism court seeks comments from all sides

Indictment in terrorists’ facilitation case set for Sept 17

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) issued on Saturday notices to the complainant, prosecution and defence on an application moved by Gulshan Division SP seeking access to interned former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain for an inquiry pertaining to a televised video in which the latter made stark confessions.

Dr Asim, who also runs Ziauddin Hospitals, has been as the primary suspect in the case for allegedly providing, or ordering, medical assistance to suspected terrorists at his health facilities while screening them off from law enforcers.

Gulshan SP Dr Fahad Ahmed moved an application before the ATC-II judge stating that he was assisting an inquiry into the airing of the alleged confessional video of Dr Asim on different news channels recently. He requested permission to meet Dr Asim in jail to probe into this saga.

In the said video, that went viral in June, Dr Asim accused former president Asif Ali Zardari’s foster brother Owais Muzaffar aka Tappi for being involved in “all kinds of corruption” and being the virtual chief minister of Sindh.

The ATC-II sought comments till Monday from all sides connected to the case to initiate the process on the application. According to the papers submitted in court, the inquiry has been ordered by the National Assembly standing committee on information.

Meanwhile, the judge declared that Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) London-based leader Saleem Shahzad a proclaimed offender in the case after investigation officer DSP Altaf Hussain submitted that Shahzad was on the run.

During the hearing, MQM’s Karachi mayoral candidate Wasim Akhtar, MQM MPA Rauf Siddiqui, Pakistan Peoples Party’s Qadir Patel, Pak Sarzameen Party president Anis Kaimkhani and Pasban’s Usman Moazzam were brought from jail. The authorities, however, informed the court that Dr Asim cannot be brought to the court since the accused is under medical treatment.

The ATC-II judge adjourned the hearing till September 17 for indictment.

After the court proceedings concluded, mayoral nominee Akhtar spoke to the media and said he is hopeful of resolving issues faced by residents of the metropolis. He also mentioned the work done by the new Sindh chief minister Murad Ali Shah in the city. “Time will tell if I will be resolving issues from inside the jail or from the outside,” said Akhtar.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 21^st, 2016.