Daily Times

KARACHI: Administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto Monday rejected a police investigation report seeking acquittal of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Dr Asim Hussain in a case pertaining to provision of medical treatment to terrorists.

The court after pursual of the record and hearing the arguments of the public prosecutor and lawyers of the Rangers and Dr Asim maintained Clause 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) in the case.

The court ordered that the suspect be presented before the ATC-II for trial.

Dr Asim, who was in NAB custody, has now been handed over to police.

The police report was presented in the court by investigation officer (IO) DSP Altaf Hussain, who explained why the close aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari was released.

“We did not find any evidence during the course of the investigation,” the DSP told the court.

He said the investigation report was first sent to the SSP concerned for approval, then to the DIG concerned, and was finally approved by police’s legal team.

On Dec 11, police had informed the court that ‘no terror-related evidence’ was found against Dr Asim under Section 497 (II) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which was why he was not required to be detained.

But in contrast to the police statement, the Rangers prosecutor had contended that enough evidence existed against Dr Asim to implicate him. The statement of Dr Yousuf Sattar – the managing director of Ziauddin Hospitals – was concrete evidence against Dr Asim, he had said.

The Rangers prosecutor went on to say that the IO did not consult the Rangers during investigations despite the case being initiated by the paramilitary force. After Rangers’ staunch opposition to police’s stance, the court had ordered the police IO to submit a report within 10 days, demanding an explanation as to why no charges could be established against Dr Asim under the CrPC.

During the hearing on Monday, Anwar Mansoor Khan, counsel for Dr Asim, informed the court that he was receiving threats from certain quarters for defending the former minister.

In his statement to the court, Dr Asim said, “My life is under threat. I have been humiliated by the press, by electronic media. And I am the son of those who played vital role in the creation of Pakistan.”

He alleged he was facing ‘personal vendetta’ and that all evidence against him was ‘fake’.

The arrest of Dr Asim, chairman of the Sindh Higher Education Commission, came on Aug 26 and was described as the first major action against PPP leaders during the ongoing Karachi operation.

Following the end of his 90-day preventive detention with Rangers, police sought multiple extensions in his remand for further questioning and collection of evidence in a case relating to treatment of and sheltering terrorists.

After police released him on Dec 11, he was arrested by NAB from the court’s premises and an accountability court later remanded him to the anti-graft body’s custody.