An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday handed over Dr Asim Hussain to police custody on four-day physical remand after he was booked on terror charges. A case was registered against him in North Nazimabad Police Station under Anti-Terrorism Act after 90-day remand in Rangers custody expired this month.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Sindh ruling party, Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) members, have also been nominated in the case. The former federal minister is accused of providing shelter to terrorists and gang war criminals and their treatment in his hospital.
The case alleges Asim of treating terrorists and wanted criminals in Clifton and North Nazimabad branches of Dr Ziauddin Hospital that he owns. The MQM-backed militants injured in different encounters with Sindh police and Rangers were treated in his hospital, the case alleges.
The authorities have stated that Asim had given safe havens to terrorists on requests by MQM leaders including Rauf Siddique, Waseem Akhtar, Saleem Shahzad and Anees Qaimkhani.
On the other hand, PPP’s Qadir Patel used to call on Asim to treat gang war criminals. The case states that former president, Zardari’s close confidant, Asim, had permitted stay of militants in his hospital.
The first information report (FIR) further accuses Asim of receiving bribes for recruiting employees in Pakistan State Oil (PSO) and Sui Southern Gas as their administrator. He has been alleged of forwarding contracts to companies and different persons whoever ‘offered him the highest.’
On August 26, Pakistan Rangers personnel, dressed in civil, had taken Asim in custody from the Sindh Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) building. The detainee was given in Rangers custody for 90 days on physical remand by the court.
During the course of physical remand in Rangers custody, Asim’s wife had challenged the Sindh High Court’s (SHC) verdict in the Supreme Court (SC) that allowed Rangers to have the accused discharged from hospital after he was admitted for alleged heartache.
