KARACHI: The Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, in a statement, has rejected the claims made by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Dr Asim Hussain stating he was drugged while making his ‘confession’ during his incarceration with the paramilitary force in 2015.
The Rangers termed Dr Asim’s statement a baseless allegation and said he did not make any such claims while appearing in court before or after his bail.
Earlier, Dr Asim said he was drugged heavily when he recorded his confessional statement.
“I still don’t remember what I said to them. I was heavily drugged when I was kept in solitary confinement,” said Dr Asim.
He added that he has gone through serious mental torture and it has left long-lasting effects on his mind as he is now facing psychological issues.
Dr Asim said that he has requested courts to allow him to travel abroad for his back surgery.
“NAB (National Accountability Court) is not allowing me [to leave the country] for they think I will not return. It is wrong. My family, businesses are all here, What will I do? I have even said that if I don’t return, the government can take over possession of my hospitals.”
He said that during investigations, the primary questions asked to him were about financial matters of PPP chief Asif Ali Zardari.
The former petroleum minister maintained that cases against him were “completely baseless, scandalous and false”, and that he was willing to face charges.
“Some people had personal vendettas against me and they misguided the authorities,” he said, adding that during his first meeting with Zardari, he had asked the PPP co-chairman, “Why me? Why have I been pushed to the wall?”
Asim said the cases against him were made with the consent of the Nawaz-led government.
“Whatever they are going through it is because I prayed ill for them,” he said, referring to the fallout on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of the Panama Papers case.
Dr Asim — a former minister and close aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari — faces trial in two cases of alleged corruption of over Rs450 billion and another of allegedly facilitating and treating terrorists at his medical facility — Dr Ziauddin Hospital.
He was released from the sub-jail at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre in Karachi on March 31 this year after obtaining bail in all the cases lodged against him.
He was initially arrested by the Rangers in August 2015 and detained for around 90 days. He was later transferred into police custody.
