Dr Asim’s case: Non-bailable warrants issued against Waseem Akhtar, Qadir Patel, others

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday, while hearing the case against a former federal minister who is also a central leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Dr Asim Hussain, pertaining to the charges of provision of shelter to criminals, issued non-bailable warrants (NBW) of arrest against five other political leaders allegedly involved in this case.

The leaders against whom non-bailable warrants were issued were Waseem Akhtar, Anis Qaimkhani and Saleem Shahzad of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM); Qadir Patel of the PPP and Usman Moazzam of Pasban.

A former home minister and another MQM leader, Rauf Siddiqui, is also facing the same charges, but he is on protective bail (pre-arrest bail). Pasban leader Usman Moazam is already under detention and facing charges of provision of shelter to some accused of terrorism.

Since the ATC (II) did not have proper information about the detention of Usman Moazam, it issued an NBW against him too. The court ordered the investigation officer to arrest the accused involved in this case and produce them on January 8.On the court’s orders, copies of some 17 witnesses were provided to Dr Asim Hussain.

However, the attorneys for Dr Asim Hussain termed the statements as incomplete and gave back the copies to the prosecution. The court expressed its displeasure over provision of incomplete copies and directed the IO not to make incomplete prosecution documents and instead present proper and perfect documents along with a list as well.

Dr Asim Hussain is also facing charges of illegal plots, alleged misappropriation of funds and irregularities. He is being interrogated on physical remand by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and he is expected to be produced before the accountability court on January 5.

According to the case facts pending with the ATC (II), Dr Asim Hussain had provided medical treatment and harboured terrorists, gangsters and activists of banned militant outfits at the North Nazimabad and Clifton branches of his hospital at the behest of political leaders.

The then IO, Rana Zulfiqar, had claimed to have questioned Dr Asim Hussain and he had confessed to having provided treatment to alleged terrorists of the MQM and gangsters of Lyari at his hospital and harboured them after MQM leaders Waseem Akhtar, Rauf Siddiqui, Anis Qaimkhani and Saleem Shahzad and Qadir Patel of the PPP had allegedly asked him to do so.