Rangers official testifies against Dr Asim, others

An anti-terrorism court on Saturday recorded the statement of a complainant against former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain and others in a case pertaining to charges of allegedly sheltering criminals at Ziauddin Hospital’s two branches.

Rangers DSR Inayatullah Durrani, who lodged the FIR, testified before the ATC judge and investigation officer DSP Altaf Hussain presented the police file in the court.

The defence counsel raised an objection to the police file that it did not contain the original documents but copies, which the judge, after listening to the prosecution, rejected.

The judge observed that the original documents could be presented in the court when the head of the joint investigation team which interrogated Dr Hussain was summoned to the court for his testimony.

Earlier, on a previous hearing, the court heard the cross examination on the statement of a Central district judicial magistrate, who had recorded a confessional statement of Ziauddin Hospital official Dr Yousuf Sattar.

Dr Sattar had conceded to the contents of the FIR in his statement under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code and admitted that at least 28 criminal elements belonging to different political parties were provided medical treatment at the private hospital’s North Nazimabad and Clifton branches.

Dr Hussain had alleged that the judicial magistrate was deliberately misrepresenting the case against him. Stating this, he requested that CCTV camera recordings of the judicial magistrate’s court must be recovered in this regard.

Dr Hussain was arrested at his office by Rangers in August 2015. He was then serving as the chairman of the Sindh Higher Education Commission.

He was taken into 90-day preventive detention and later booked in a case. He is currently on bail.

During the hearing, Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar, Pak Sarzameen Party President Anis Kaimkhani and former commerce and industries minister belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Rauf Siddiqui also appeared.

The court, after recording the statement of the Rangers official, adjourned the hearing till November 30 to hear the cross examination of the defence counsel on him.