KARACHI: The Pakistan Rangers informed an anti-terrorism court on Thursday that Dr Asim Hussain, a former federal minister and close aide to former president Asif Ali Zardari, was under preventive detention for 90 days for allegedly using embezzled funds to finance terrorism.

Personnel of the paramilitary force and its legal team produced Dr Hussain, who is chairman of the Sindh Higher Education Commission, in the chamber of ATC-III judge Saleem Raza Baloch amid tight security.

The Rangers submitted an application along with a jail warrant and detention order in the court and contended that in exercise of powers conferred by the federal and provincial governments, they had arrested Dr Hussain within the jurisdiction of Boating Basin police station upon receiving credible information about his alleged involvement in offences related to misappropriation of funds for enhancing / supporting terrorism activities by misusing his authority and for other criminal links.

The offences in question were punishable under the Anti-terrorism Act, 1997, it added.

The Rangers said: “After receiving credible information relating to involvement in terror & violence financing, misappropriation of funds for enhancing / supporting terrorism activities and other criminal links / activities by using authority, the sector commander Abdullah Shah Ghazi Rangers has placed him under three months preventive detention under Section 11-EEEE (1) of ATA for inquiry.”

The detention order said it was in public interest that an inquiry be conducted against the detainee and during the questioning he will be kept at Meetha Ram Hostel, which has been notified as a sub-jail.

In compliance with Section 11 EEEE (3) of ATA, the detainee was produced, along with relevant documents for the information of the court, the Rangers added.

A panel of lawyers representing Dr Hussain attended the proceedings conducted in the chamber of the judge while a Rangers’ law officer assured the court that besides providing required treatment, the detainee’s family members would be allowed to meet him.

Unlike other suspects under preventive detention in the past, Dr Hussain was presented before the court with a different protocol. He was neither blindfolded nor handcuffed. Escorted by a paramilitary official of the rank of major, the visibly calm former minister entered the court premises with law-enforcers following him.

Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court directed the Rangers authorities to provide necessary medical facilities and treatment to Dr Asim Hussain.

A two-judge bench headed Justice Sajjad Ali Shah issued the directive while hearing a constitutional petition filed by Mr Hussain’s wife against his detention.

The bench issued notices to the director general of Rangers and the interior ministry to file their comments on the matter and put off the hearing to Aug 31.

According to Section 11EEEE (1) (preventive detention for inquiry), “the government or, where the provisions of section 4 have been invoked, the armed forces or civil armed forces, as the case may be, subject to the specific or general order of the government in this regard, for period not exceeding three months and after recording reasons thereof, issue order for the preventive detention of any person who has been concerned in any offence under this act relating to the security or defence of Pakistan or any part thereof, or public order relating to target killing, kidnapping for ransom, and extortion / bhatta, or the maintenance of supplies or services, or against whom a reasonable complaint has been made or credible information has been received, or a reasonable suspicion exists of his having been so concerned, for purpose of inquiry”.

Section 11EEEE (1) was added to the ATA in October 2013.

Dr Hussain served as the minister of petroleum and natural resources and adviser to the prime minister during the PPP government at the centre and after the 2013 general elections, the Sindh government made him chairman of the provincial HEC, apparently because of his close ties with the PPP co-chairman.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2015

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