Hearing of terror case against Dr Asim adjourned

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday put off the hearing of a terror facilitation case against former petroleum minister Dr Asim Hussain and other political leaders who have been accused of sheltering target killers and absconders at the Ziauddin Hospitals during the city’s recent violent past.

The ATC was scheduled to hear a witness, however, due to their absence because of the coronavirus lockdown, it adjourned the hearing till June 6 with again issuing notices to the case parties to appear and conduct the evidence recording process.

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

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

Dr Asim had alleged that the judicial magistrate was deliberately misrepresenting the case against him. He requested that the CCTV cameras recordings of the judicial magistrate court be recovered in this regard.

The former petroleum minister was arrested by the Rangers in August 2015 from his office. He was then serving as the Sindh Higher Education Commission chairman. He was taken into 90-day preventive detention and later booked in a case. He is currently on bail.

Other accused include Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar, Pak Sarzameen Party President Anis Kaimkhani, former Muttahida Qaumi Movement minister Rauf Siddiqui, Pasban leader Usman Muazzam and Pakistan Peoples Party leader Qadir Patel.