Key witness records 'confessional statement' against Dr Asim Hussain

KARACHI (Staff Report) – Key witness Dr Yousuaf Sattar, the deputy of former federal minister for petroleum Dr Asim Hussain at Ziauddin Hospital, has recorded a confessional statement with Judicial Magistrate conceding the allegations leveled against the latter in a Joint Investigation Team's (JIT) report, said investigation officer on Monday.

The statement was recorded under section 164 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) which deals with "abetment by public servant of offences such as taking gratification by corrupt or illegal means and exercise of personal influence."

Talking to media reports after Dr Asim Hussain's production at City Court in Karachi, the officials said that Dr Sattar has testified all of the accusations including corruption in several projects, treatment of terrorists on the request of different high profile politicians of MQM and PPP, and receiving kickbacks in bidding while he was serving as minister for petroleum.

"The key witness has confessed to treating and sheltering as many as 28 terrorists on the behest of different political personalities and special instructions of Dr Asim Hussain," the officials stated.

He told the Judicial Magistrate Ali Akbar Tawana that he was recording the confessional statement on his personal will and without any pressure and torture.

The statement was later on sealed and forwarded to respective ATC judge by the judicial magistrate.

Initial reports had said the confessional statement was recorded by Dr Asim Hussain however the later reports confirmed that it was recorded by Dr Yousuf Sattar who is a key witness of prosecution against Dr Asim Hussain.

Previously an anti-terrorism court had Thursday remanded former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain into police custody for four days to interrogate him in a case of corruption and alleged terror financing.

The judge, after hearing arguments of the prosecutor general and Asim’s counsel, granted his physical remand to police, ordering his production in next hearing on Monday (today).

An FIR was registered against Hussain on the request of Sindh Rangers under the charges of protecting the terrorists and receiving kickbacks for allocating contracts to his favourites while holding top government offices.

Read more: PPP’s Sharjeel Memon, Dr Asim, placed on ECL

He has been accused of treating wanted criminals and terrorists on the instructions of several MQM leaders and PPP’s Abdul Qadir Patel.

Sections of anti-terrorism act have also been included in the FIR.

The interior ministry has also placed his name, along with another PPP leader Sharjeel Inam Memon, on the Exit Control List (ECL).

According to reliable sources, the former minister for petroleum had confessed to sheltering hundreds of target killers associated with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Zia-ud-Din Hospital during his 90-days custody to Sindh Rangers.

Asim Hussain revealed his close ties with key MQM leaders including Dr Farooq Sattar, Dr Sagheer, Dr Nadeem Nusrat, Mustafa Azizabadi and Adil Siddiqui, and said that he appointed Dr Yousuf Sattar Memon as an executive upon request of MQM leaders.

He added that Memon is an “ideological” worker of MQM and has been treating and protecting MQM’s target killers in his hospitals located in North Nazimabad area of Karachi.

“Memon treated hundred of MQM associated target killers at my hospitals upon instruction of senior MQM leadership,” the PPP leader told the investigators. Most of these workers were those injured during criminal activities, he added.

Hussain claimed that Memon used to visit MQM headquarters, Nine Zero, for checkup of party leaders and their families. The MQM workers also received up to 50% discount by Dr Yousuf Sattar Memon. The hospital used to send bills for treatment of MQM workers to Nine Zero which were afterwards paid through Khidmat-e-Khalaq Foundation (KKF) of the party.

While disclosing details about his relationship with Memon Dr Asim disclosed that he was hired as CMO at Zia-ud-Din hospital in 1989 however he left the job in 1990. Memon rejoined in 1992 and was appointed as hospital’s administrator in 1998. Moreover during all this time he was also working in Qatar Hospital as DMS but very occasionally visited the hospital. He was one of the key donors of MQM’s welfare trust KKF and donated large amount to the party after 2005’s earthquake as well.

Former minister also told that his forefathers belonged to Indian city of Aligarh and that he visited India for 7-8 times in last decade. “I last visited India as federal minister for petroleum in 2011,” he said.

Another source privy to inside information told Daily Pakistan Global that though Dr Asim Hussain is a close aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari yet he also enjoyed close ties with MQM as well, and that he was accused of being an MQM facilitator.

“Dr Asim acted as a bridge between Pakistan Peoples Party and MQM,  he has been accused of being MQM facilitator. During investigation by security agencies his name surface in many cases related to MQM. This is primarily the reason that he has been arrested under Protection of Pakistan Ordinance.”