KARACHI: The counsel for the Sindh Rangers on Saturday said the report submitted by a police investigation officer in the Dr Asim Hussain case was biased.
Hussain, a leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and former federal minister for petroleum and natural resources, was produced in an anti-terrorism court amid tight security on Saturday. The counsel for the Rangers expressed no confidence in the police investigation report and said it was favouring Hussain, who has been accused of facilitating terrorists. “The investigation officer is trying to influence the case; therefore, he should be replaced with another investigation officer who is neutral,” the counsel for the Rangers asked the court.
Wasim Akhtar and Abdul Rauf Siddiqui, co-accused in the case and leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), were present in the court although they are on bail nowadays.
The court re-issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of MQM leaders Anees Qaimkhani and Saleem Shahzad and PPP leader Abdul Qadir and directed the investigation officer to arrest them. The hearing of the case was adjourned till February 22.
According to the first information report (FIR), militants associated with the MQM and the Lyari gang war, who were injured in clashes with law enforcement agencies in Karachi, were treated at the Ziauddin Hospital on Hussain’s directives.
Hussain remained in the custody of different investigation agencies for 165 days after the Rangers arrested him on August 26, 2015. He was serving as chairman of the Sindh Higher Education Commission when he was arrested.
The Rangers detained Hussain for 90 days for his alleged involvement in terrorism-related incidents. Later, Hussain was given in the police custody and a case was registered against him at the North Nazimabad Police Station for facilitating terrorists. After the Rangers and the police, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) came into action and took Hussain in custody on charges of corruption.
