Rangers’ counsel terms IO’s report biased towards Dr Asim Hussain

Asks ATC to replace IO with a neutral police officer

Karachi 

The counsel for the Sindh Rangers on Saturday declared as biased a report submitted by the investigation officer (IO) prosecuting Dr Asim Hussain for allegedly allowing treatment of terrorists at two branches of his private hospital. 

After Hussain, former federal minister for petroleum and close aide to former president Asif Ali Zardari, was brought to an anti-terrorism court (ATC) amid tight security, the counsel for the paramilitary force expressed no-confidence in the IO’s report, saying that it cold benefit the alleged terrorists’ facilitator.

“The IO is trying to affect the case; therefore, he should be replaced by an officer who is neutral,” the Rangers lawyer added. 

Two co-accused in the case, Waseem Akhter and Rauf Siddiqui of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), who are on bail, were also appeared in the court. 

Fresh NBWs issued

The court re-issued non-bailable arrest warrants (NBWs) for Anis Qaimkhani and Saleem Shehzad of the MQM and PPP leader Abdul Qadir, and directed the IO to arrest them. 

According to the FIR, militants belonging to the MQM and the Lyari gang war, who were injured in clashes with law enforcers, were treated at the private hospital on Hussain’s directives after the abovementioned accused had asked him to do so. 

Hussain had remained in the custody of different investigators for almost 165 days after his arrests by the Rangers on August 26 when he was serving as chairman of Sindh´s Higher Education Commission. 

At the outset, the Rangers detained his for 90 days for questioning under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. Later, police obtained Hussain’s custody after the registration of an FIR against him at the North Nazimabad Police Station. 

Then the National Accountability Bureau came into action and got his remand over corruption charges. 

Man jailed 

An anti-terrorism court awarded collective 24-year imprisonment with a Rs50,000 fine to a man for carrying an illicit weapon and explosive material.  The ATC judge found Faizan Abbasi guilty of carrying explosive material and a weapon without licence in 2015. The judge pronounced the verdict after recording witnesses´ statements and listening arguments from both sides.

According to the prosecution, the man was arrested by police on February 20 last year in the Tariq Road area. Explosive material and an illegal weapon were said to have been found on him. 

The court observed that the charges against the accused were proved without any shadow of doubt. 

The ATC judge awarded 10 years’ imprisonment along with a Rs50,000 fine in the illicit weapon case.

The convict would have to undergo an additional six-month imprisonment if he failed to pay the fine. 

He was handed a 14-year jail term for possessing explosive substance.  However, according to the judgment, both the convictions would run simultaneously.