Further interrogation: Police get Dr Asim’s remand for four days
Sindh prosecutor general jumps in to take over case; Rangers claim remand papers tampered with
Rangers escort Dr Asim Hussain to the court for the hearing on Thursday. PHOTO: REUTERS
KARACHI:
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Karachi remanded Dr Asim Hussain in police custody on Thursday over accusations of harbouring and aiding terrorists. The suspect’s 90-day preventive detention with Rangers had expired a day earlier.
The administrative judge of the Karachi ATCs handed over the custody of the former federal minister to police for four days for further interrogation after hearing heated arguments from both sides.
Unusual circumstances were observed when Dr Asim was brought to the Sindh High Court under strict security.
Newly appointed Sindh prosecutor general Shahadat Awan appeared before the judge, Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, to represent the state himself.
A heated argument ensued in the courtroom when special public prosecutors representing the paramilitary Rangers intervened, insisting the case will be pursued by them.
Awan, however, declined their requests, saying he was the prosecutor general and the decision rested with him.
Another controversy erupted when the ATC administrative judge was told the police had demanded a four-day remand to interrogate the suspect.
A Rangers law officer protested the remand papers had been tampered with as the time sought was of 14 days. The papers were found with corrections as ‘1’ was removed from the numeric figure.
Meanwhile, the defence counsel had opposed any remand. They contended it would be unfair on the suspect, who had already undergone a long detention of 90 days, but the investigators had failed to prove any charges against him.
After listening to the arguments however, the judge sent Dr Asim in police custody on a four-day physical remand, seeking a progress report on investigations on Monday.
Plenty of charges
Dr Asim, a close confidant of former president Asif Ali Zardari, was arrested in August this year by the paramilitary Rangers in a raid at his office. He was then serving as the chairman of the Sindh Higher Education Commission.
Accused of embezzling public funds and financing terrorism, the former minister was detained under Section 11-EEEE of the Anti-Terrorism Act, which empowers security and law enforcement agencies to grill any terror suspect for up to three months.
After his detention period expired on Wednesday, the Rangers registered a case against Dr Asim at North Nazimabad police station and handed over his custody to the police.
According to the FIR, the ex-minister had confessed to facilitating and providing medical treatment to several militants backed by political and religious parties at his hospitals and knowingly screened them from the law enforcers.
Besides holding a key portfolio in public service, Dr Asim is a well-known figure in health and education services. He is the chairman of Dr Ziauddin Group of Hospitals and the chancellor of Dr Ziauddin University.
He is alleged to have given discounted medical treatments to injured terrorists on the recommendations of some politicians and often provided them a hideout. The politicians claimed to have asked favours from him have been named as Rauf Siddiqui, Waseem Akhtar, Saleem Shahzad and Anis Qaimkhani of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Qadir Patel of Pakistan Peoples Party.
The FIR also states the suspect misused his ministerial capacity and inducted people in the state-run Pakistan State Oil and Sui Southern Gas Company after accepting bribes.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2015.
An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Karachi remanded Dr Asim Hussain in police custody on Thursday over accusations of harbouring and aiding terrorists. The suspect’s 90-day preventive detention with Rangers had expired a day earlier.
The administrative judge of the Karachi ATCs handed over the custody of the former federal minister to police for four days for further interrogation after hearing heated arguments from both sides.
Unusual circumstances were observed when Dr Asim was brought to the Sindh High Court under strict security.
Newly appointed Sindh prosecutor general Shahadat Awan appeared before the judge, Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, to represent the state himself.
A heated argument ensued in the courtroom when special public prosecutors representing the paramilitary Rangers intervened, insisting the case will be pursued by them.
Awan, however, declined their requests, saying he was the prosecutor general and the decision rested with him.
Another controversy erupted when the ATC administrative judge was told the police had demanded a four-day remand to interrogate the suspect.
A Rangers law officer protested the remand papers had been tampered with as the time sought was of 14 days. The papers were found with corrections as ‘1’ was removed from the numeric figure.
Meanwhile, the defence counsel had opposed any remand. They contended it would be unfair on the suspect, who had already undergone a long detention of 90 days, but the investigators had failed to prove any charges against him.
After listening to the arguments however, the judge sent Dr Asim in police custody on a four-day physical remand, seeking a progress report on investigations on Monday.
Plenty of charges
Dr Asim, a close confidant of former president Asif Ali Zardari, was arrested in August this year by the paramilitary Rangers in a raid at his office. He was then serving as the chairman of the Sindh Higher Education Commission.
Accused of embezzling public funds and financing terrorism, the former minister was detained under Section 11-EEEE of the Anti-Terrorism Act, which empowers security and law enforcement agencies to grill any terror suspect for up to three months.
After his detention period expired on Wednesday, the Rangers registered a case against Dr Asim at North Nazimabad police station and handed over his custody to the police.
According to the FIR, the ex-minister had confessed to facilitating and providing medical treatment to several militants backed by political and religious parties at his hospitals and knowingly screened them from the law enforcers.
Besides holding a key portfolio in public service, Dr Asim is a well-known figure in health and education services. He is the chairman of Dr Ziauddin Group of Hospitals and the chancellor of Dr Ziauddin University.
He is alleged to have given discounted medical treatments to injured terrorists on the recommendations of some politicians and often provided them a hideout. The politicians claimed to have asked favours from him have been named as Rauf Siddiqui, Waseem Akhtar, Saleem Shahzad and Anis Qaimkhani of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Qadir Patel of Pakistan Peoples Party.
The FIR also states the suspect misused his ministerial capacity and inducted people in the state-run Pakistan State Oil and Sui Southern Gas Company after accepting bribes.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 27th, 2015.