Sindh

Sharp reaction: Dr Asim’s arrest an attack on Sindh province, says CM

Qaim says he was not taken into confidence before his arrest

Hafeez Tunio August 29, 2015

Qaim says he was not taken into confidence before his arrest. PHOTO: ONLINE

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah on Friday termed the arrest of Dr Asim Hussain ‘an attack on Sindh’s autonomy’ and said he was not taken into confidence by the Rangers before they took the provincial chairman of the Higher Education Council (HEC) into custody.

“Dr Asim is the chairman of HEC in Sindh. He has the status of a provincial minister. The concerned agencies were legally bound to take me into confidence before taking a person of such status into custody,” he told reporters after inaugurating an underpass in Karachi named after the late Begum Nusrat Bhutto.

“But I was never informed before the arrest was made. This is unwarranted and unfair,” he said.

The chief minister came down hard on security and law enforcement agencies over the development.

“I am the boss of this province and I head the ongoing operation [in Karachi]. The inspector general of police and the director general of Rangers work under my supervision. Maintaining law and order in Karachi and other parts of Sindh is my responsibility,” he said.

“There is no rule of the jungle. We will not let that prevail.”

Shah said he spoke to the Karachi corps commander and the Rangers DG soon after Dr Asim was arrested. “They told me there were complaints against Dr Asim but when they sent me the details, I found the complaints to be vague and without substance,” he said.

The chief minister added that if there were serious complaints against the HEC Sindh chairman, they should have been probed and substantiated before he was arrested. “The procedure was not followed in this case and that has invited the wrath of my party [PPP]. They hold me responsible because they have elevated me to the position of chief minister.”

Shah said he also met the Rangers DG on Friday. “He assured me that the issue will be settled and that I will be taken into confidence before such actions are taken in the future. I hope Dr Asim will be released soon.” Meanwhile, the chief minister said he has been informed that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and other federal agencies will “stop their intrusions in Sindh within two days.”

“We are also working to stop their excessive actions in Sindh,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2015.

COMMENTS (17)

Whiskey Khan | 8 years ago | Reply The CM is nothing more then an irrelevant Figure Head in an irrelevant PPP Govt. And that's the way people want it As well. True Brave are those who are battling these Monsters.

Timorlane | 8 years ago | Reply Any attempt to check the corrupt criminals is deemed as an attack on zardari sinned kingdom of corruption and crimes by sinnedis looting in the name of democracy

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Ahmad | 8 years ago | Reply Irresponsible politicians has already destroyed Pakistan. This is another example of their mental state. They think that all of their allies and supporters are super-"angels" , and no one has the right to even touch them.. Earlier, MQM displayed such attitude and now PPP..

Np | 8 years ago | Reply @Bewildered: american citizens are not called terrorists or prosecuted under laws related to terrorism if they are indicted for white collar crimes, nor are they presented to military courts. Separately, what has been happening with MQM people arrested is that for months at end, they are not even presented to courts. Often after being unable to prove any charges their bodies are dumped on streets. This also does not happen to US citizens.

karachite | 8 years ago | Reply He is right in his statement. Rangers cannot exceed their limits. That wont be lawful.

Muhammad Khan | 8 years ago | Reply What does "attack on Sindh" mean? Is Sindh an independent state or a province of Pakistan? We condemn this statement of Saeen Sarkar because before him Khursheed Shah talked of war (we don't know war against whom?). Lets not provide shelter to the corrupt ones rather lets stand with those who are against corruption in our Country. We love General Raheel and we are solidly behind his decision to expose those involved in economic terrorism.

Azi | 8 years ago | Reply He is the boss of that pretty office he has been granted regardless of his amazingly poor performance. Don't listen to him, do what you have to rangers, your support is the people of sindh and Pakistan. You don't need any permission from anyone.

excalibur | 8 years ago | Reply Notice how quickly PMDC jumped in to support Dr Asim Husain Why was that ? Yesterday the same PMDC was dissolved under a Presidential Ordinance but its President PMDC was somehow nominated by 'someone ' and was on the Civil Awards list for Sitara i Imtiaz this year God knows for what ? Yes because of Dr Asim and his links

Pakistani | 8 years ago | Reply The CM wants to be informed so that they can take the concerned to the airport with protocol and help them out of the country....

Truth | 8 years ago | Reply over 2 years beating drum of celebration for targeting MQM and advising to face the the so call allegation and now with one arrest feeling the pinch ....Shah saheb now face the allegation bravely..

Muneer | 8 years ago | Reply The statement of the Sindh CM clearly state that there are two sets of laws one for people having status and one for common people.Where as as per the constitution all are equal before Law.Shame on PPP and its Sindh government for such a statement.Police and the Rangers must NOT inform the CM before arresting any criminal whether having a status or not.They must proceed as per the law and not as per the whims of the CM whose shameful statement is a clear violation of the democracy,the constitution and law.

confused | 8 years ago | Reply Authorities must understand. SAIEN is missing his friend and wants to be with him. Please don't keep the buddies separate from each other. Keep them together.

guest | 8 years ago | Reply Saien Sahib too has daughters who are doctors at least he should understand how frustrated the medical fraternity feels . Asim Hussain has been a nightmare for medical education in Pakistan

Bewildered | 8 years ago | Reply All the states of USA constitutionally have more or less the same level of autonomy given to our provincial governments through 18th amendment by his very own Peoples Party government in the center, but we never hear any state official calling it an attack on the state when the FBI, or Homeland Security, or IRS arrest any criminal or offender. These corrupt and shameless politicians of our land think that this country is their personal fiefdom and what ever loot and plunder they do is their birth right. Well, the fault is not theirs, it is of ours who elect them again and again because of our narrow mindedness steered by provincialism and sub-nationalism. "As you sow, so shall you reap", no escape from laws of nature.

A Karachite | 8 years ago | Reply “I am the boss of this province and I head the ongoing operation [in Karachi]. The inspector general of police and the director general of Rangers work under my supervision. Maintaining law and order in Karachi and other parts of Sindh is my responsibility,” CM Needed a good laugh right now and this made my day...

Raisani | 8 years ago | Reply Saien has gone mad. Somebody please give a glass of fresh doze so that he can be stable.

pakistani | 8 years ago | Reply “I am the boss of this province and I head the ongoing operation [in Karachi]. The inspector general of police and the director general of Rangers work under my supervision. Maintaining law and order in Karachi and other parts of Sindh is my responsibility,” he said. “There is no rule of the jungle. We will not let that prevail.” Every single word of the above utterance is contrary to reality of Sindh, such is the status of our saeen Sarkar..............

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