Blame game: Rangers deny Dr Asim was drugged during interrogations

PPP leader claimed he was 'heavily drugged' during investigations while in Rangers' custody

KARACHI: The paramilitary force strongly denied on Saturday the allegations levelled by a senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Dr Asim Hussain against the force.

During his recent interview with a private news channel, Dr Asim claimed that he was heavily drugged during investigations in the Rangers' custody and he did not know what he said. Dr Asim claimed that he does not know what drug he was administered by the Rangers personnel. "I do not remember because I think I was heavily drugged," Dr Asim alleged.

Reacting to his allegations, the paramilitary force strongly rejected Dr Asim's allegations, terming them contrary to the facts. "Dr Asim has never previously levelled such allegations during custody, appearance in courts and after his release," reads a statement issued by the Rangers. "Dr Asim is currently on bail and cases registered against him are being heard in courts."



The PPP leader was initially arrested by the paramilitary force in Karachi and was later handed over to the police after 90 days of protective custody with the Rangers. He was also charged with facilitating terrorists.

Dr Asim, who is a close aide of former president and PPP Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, faces corruption references pertaining to land fraud amounting to Rs9.5 billion, money laundering of Rs3 billion and misuse of authority and criminal breach of trust through a fertiliser scam of Rs450 billion.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had also accused him of illegally awarding gas contracts to a privately-managed gas processing company, Jamshoro Joint Venture Limited, to process gas from government-owned gas fields without an open auction, causing a loss of Rs17.34 billion to the national exchequer. He was also accused of providing treatment and shelter to terrorists at his hospitals on the behest of leaders belonging to various political parties. The Sindh High Court had on March 29 granted him bail in the corruption cases against him.

In his leaked confession video filmed while he was in the Rangers' custody, Dr Asim had accused Zardari's foster brother, Owais Muzaffar Tappi, of being involved in corruption.

During his interview with The Express Tribune in July 2016, he claimed, "I was given some sedative pills and then asked to read from a script,” complaining that the frequent administering of tranquilisers led to kidney failure. “I deny all that I was made to say in that video,” he claimed.