Dr Asim rejects charges

November 7, 2016
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ATC

By Nasir Mahmood

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court indicted Dr Asim Hussain, Waseem Akhtar, Qadir Patel, Anees Qaimkhani, Rauf Siddiqui and Usman Moazzam for securing medical treatment for terrorists. Former Petroleum minister and Pakistan People’s Party leader was brought to the court in a wheelchair. He had recently suffered a paralysis attack. In the court Dr Asim pleaded not guilty. “Those who have charged me with crime should also be indicted. I don’t feel well at all. My wife is also extremely ill. Pray for her.” Earlier, the Anti-terrorism court granted bail to Karachi mayor Waseem Akhtar in two more cases against a surety bond of Rs100,000 each. He had been granted bail in 38 out of 39 cases. The Sindh High Court had granted bail to Rauf Siddiqui, Anees Qaimkhani, Dr Asim Hussain, and Pasban leader Usman Moazzam last Tuesday in the case pertaining to the charges of harbouring and providing medical treatment to terrorists. The ATC-II judge read out charges against them and summoned prosecution witnesses on Nov 16 for evidence after they pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the case. The Rangers had picked up Dr Asim, chairman of the Sindh Higher Education Commission with the status of a provincial minister, from his office in Clifton on Aug 26, 2015. The following day, the Rangers informed an ATC that he was placed under three-month preventive detention for inquiry under Section 11-EEEE of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

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