"My life is under threat," Dr Asim Hussain denies treating terrorists

KARACHI (Staff Report) - Senior Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader and former minister for petroleum Dr Asim Hussain Monday denied treating any terrorists at his hospital saying 'I have never given such statement.'

Hussain was produced in anti-terrorism court (ATC) after completion of seven-day physical remand in police custody. The remand was extended for another five days on the occasion.

Recording a statement with ATC, he prayed to the court to not handover him to Sindh Rangers as they have already investigated him for 90 days. My life is under serious threat, I am being targeted in someone else's fight, he added.

When court asked him if the police or Rangers ever tortured him during investigation, Dr Asim said that he was not tortured physically but he has been under a continuous mental pressure.

"I am being humiliated for the crimes I never committed, I was paraded to my hospitals handcuffed," he stated.

He went on to say that her wife was a cancer patient and she is being disgraced in police stations and court along with my 90-year-old mother.

The judge assured Dr Asim Hussain that he will be given a fair trial and he will not be charged the crimes he did not commit.

Earlier on November 30, Dr Asim Hussain at Ziauddin Hospital and key witness against him, Dr Yousuaf Sattar, recorded a confessional statement with Judicial Magistrate conceding the allegations leveled against the first in a Joint Investigation Team’s (JIT) report.

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 thejudicial magistrate.

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.

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).