Pakistan

Zardari's close confidante Dr Asim Hussain handed over to Rangers for 90 days

Dr Hussain to remain in Rangers' custody for 90 days; arrest challenged in Sindh High Court

Zubair Ashraf/hafeez Tunio August 27, 2015

Dr Asim Hussain in custody of Rangers after an ATC hearing in Karachi on August 27, 2015. PHOTO: ONLINE

KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Zardari’s close confidante Dr Asim Hussain was handed over to Rangers on Thursday.

Dr Hussain was presented before an anti-terrorism court in Karachi, a day after he was picked up by law-enforcers in civvies in what appears to be a major graft-busting move.

According to a source privy to the development, the former minister will be interrogated by a JIT for his alleged involvement during his detention.

After informing the court, the paramilitary force took Dr Hussain into preventive detention for 90 days.

He will be interrogated under Section 11EEEE of ATA - special powers the armed force enjoys following the enactment of Pakistan Protection Act.

The law enforcers apprehended the chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Sindh chapter, and former federal minister, in connection with his alleged involvement in corruption cases. Reports suggest he was involved in money laundering, land allotment scams and corruption in LNG and CNG deals.

Read: Confidante of Zardari detained on graft charges

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) condemned the arrest of Dr Asim Hussain – a petroleum minister in the past PPP-led government and close friend of former President Asif Ali Zardari – as politically motivated.

He belongs to the influential family of Dr Ziauddin Ahmed, a key political figure in Pakistan’s independence movement. Besides being the HEC Sindh chairman, Dr Asim is also the chairman of the Ziauddin Group of Hospitals in Karachi. He has also served as the petroleum minister under the PPP government in 2008.

Sources close to Dr Hussain said he had recently returned to Pakistan after spending two and a half months in London and Dubai.

Sources told Daily Express that HEC Sindh Secretary Dr Mansoor Abbas has moved some important files and records to a safe place. According to them, there is a strong possibility that Dr Mansoor and his associates will be taken into custody for questioning.

Arrest challenged in SHC

Dr Hussain's arrest was challenged was challenged in the Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday as his mother submitted a petition claiming that men in civvies took away the former minister from his Clifton office to an undisclosed location, sources said.

Read: Dual nationality: Dr Asim Hussain resigns from Senate

The petition maintains that the prominent opposition politician is being kept under illegal detention, the source added.

According to reports, the former petroleum minister is said to be suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes and therefore needs medical care.

Meanwhile, Dr Zareen Hussain, wife of Dr Hussain, has written a letter to IG Sindh Ghulam Haider Jamali requesting him inform her of the whereabouts of her husband.

She has also written to DG Rangers Major General Bilal Akbar, requesting to let Dr Hussain meet his family.

COMMENTS (23)

junaid | 8 years ago | Reply no one know he is wrong or right until court say anything second main point you have seen rangers are same peoples who arrest mqm leaders se photo and compare

noman | 8 years ago | Reply Whoever caught in corruption charges will be released after sometime, they will join the government and will resume their corrupt acts.... I don't think that army can do any more than this.... the government of nawaz sharif will eventually going to dissolve all.the charges once the army chief is retired.... nawaZ and pppp government can only survive by helping each other through back door channel and hiding their secrets..... That is the bitter fact and reality... everyone knows this... pray for Pakistan....

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Fahad | 8 years ago | Reply It is necessary to punish these type of corrupt persons in front of people and media.

Naeem Majid | 8 years ago | Reply Why was this doctor appointed Mister of Petroleum? To loot the country by his boss Zardari

Tauseef | 8 years ago | Reply He is not gravely sick, he has high blood pressure and diabetic, & THAT doesn't require round the clock monitoring. Corrupt People. Bottom feeders!!!

Timorlane | 8 years ago | Reply This thief has been the right hand of the Father of Corruption Zardari. He should be investigated like any worst thief and criminal instead of being driven to court in Land Cruisers

straightshooter | 8 years ago | Reply @reader: Asking jail for the family of an accused is absurd, even by Pakistani standards. My two cents.

OBSERVER | 8 years ago | Reply @ashar..you should have the courage to read his comment..What about Punjab the land of pure,there is no corruption,kidnapping for ransoms,rape and other criminal activities...

Shahid | 8 years ago | Reply a 'doctor' appointed as 'minister of petroleum' .. go figure !

reader | 8 years ago | Reply @straightshooter sb, no i will never walk a mile in her shoe. if i had a son who had bankrupted the whole nation then i would have turned him in, not trying to protect him, no matter i have cancer or not is irrelevant.

Asad | 8 years ago | Reply Who gave rangers mandate to arrest people for corruption? Will they arrest any Khaki involved in NLC?

Muneer | 8 years ago | Reply Look at these extremely corrupt people,they are so powerful that they can create a situation.Shame on them.

straightshooter | 8 years ago | Reply @reader: "...the mother and wife should also be arrested.." My dislike for the PPP looters notwithstanding, this woman is a cancer survivor, still taking regular medicine. She will definitely fall sick if the Government somehow 'obeys' your command. Thought you should know. Better walk a mile in her shoes, before you play judge again.

Judge Pervert Carretti | 8 years ago | Reply No place for bad people in the society, only "Shareefs" needed.

shahid | 8 years ago | Reply What happened is for sure we all knew will happen, specially after the speech where scared screams were heard, HOOSHAR HOOSHAR HOOSHAR, and then within a flick of the switch, we heard sounds of BHAAGO, BHAAGO BHAAGO; and saw some very BIG Tarzans running for cover, and some to Dubai; So now, time has come, sit back and enjoy the grand show; Well, Its SHOOOWWW TIME;

excalibura | 8 years ago | Reply why is he not blinfolded and handcuffed ? why is he not named as kantuta, Pahari , Mota or Nata ? Guess it is only kept for MQM or poor people when they are detained and taken to ATC Like MQM detainees he should alsobe denied any medical aid which his wife is pleading for His corruption through PMDC should also be incuded in the case

Khan | 8 years ago | Reply Why is it that whenever someone is arrested he/she is suddenly a chronic patient who needs constant care. Where are their chronic illnesses when they are indulging themselves into corruption and minting money. Maybe their illness is just that of the state of mind

Khurram | 8 years ago | Reply Where was his wife when he was doing milion dollars corruption and looting this country's worth mercilessly? So called educated and law abiding family.

ashar | 8 years ago | Reply @kamran maqbool: SHUT UP

reader | 8 years ago | Reply the mother and wife should also be arrested then for supporting a mega corrupter. if judge agrees then military should arrest them too. sorry, military is miltiary.

Acorn Guts | 8 years ago | Reply Looks like they know why the arrest was made; the letter doesn't demand an explanation for the arrest anywhere.

Munir | 8 years ago | Reply IKamran, t is absurd that people can be that corrupt and still get away with it for so long. These people loot in a way that they make billions.

kamran maqbool | 8 years ago | Reply The contrary view point is to act in such absurd way without any FIR or arrest warant raised various eye brows,irrespective of what was the crime but at least the course of constition must be followed other wise the arm twisting and head down collision is against the dignity of Establishment who has the long history of sacrifies and making thier life in danger for the sack of Pakistan.The iron handed treatment may lead the action alike SADAMIAN regime which ended by another iron hand, the emotional action may make the rascals into innocents so there is demand to establish the ehtisaab comission same as had been in KPK whicj ruthless EHTISAAB earned the homage to the unholly NAAB.

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