Rangers go to SHC against police move to release Dr Asim

Tahir Siddiqui Published December 16, 2015

KARACHI: The Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) moved on Tuesday the Sindh High Court against the release of PPP leader Dr Asim Hussain by police in a criminal case pertaining to “treatment and harbouring of terrorists” at the North Nazimabad and Clifton branches of his hospital “at the behest of leaders of PPP and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement”.

An officer of the paramilitary force filed a constitutional petition seeking action against the investigation officer of the case, DSP Altaf Hussain, who had released Dr Hussain under Section 497 (II) of the Criminal Procedure Code as “he had found no terror-related evidence” against him.

The Rangers’ petition said that enough evidence existed against Dr Hussain to charge him for the offences mentioned in the FIR.

The petitioner alleged that the investigation officer deliberately omitted the sections of anti-terrorism laws and destroyed the evidence against Dr Hussain.

He requested the court to take action against DSP Altaf Hussain for “spoiling the case of prosecution against the accused person”.

DSP Hussain had informed an anti-terrorism court that the police had released the PPP leader as there was no evidence available on record against him.

However, the Rangers’ prosecutor present in the ATC told the judge that there was sufficient evidence against Dr Hussain and the investigation officer did consult the Rangers during investigations even though the case was initiated by the paramilitary force.

After the Rangers’ staunch opposition to the police stance, the ATC had ordered the police IO to submit a report within 10 days about why no charges could be established against Dr Hussain under the CrPC.

Following the end of his 90-day preventive detention on Nov 25, the Rangers had handed over Dr Hussain to police after lodging a case against him for allegedly treating and harbouring terrorists at the North Nazimabad and Clifton branches of his hospital at the behest of PPP and MQM leaders.

Dr Hussain, the chairman of the Sindh Higher Education Commission, was arrested on Aug 26.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2015

Pakistan

Tahir Siddiqui is a Karachi-based reporter for Dawn with over 35 years of experience covering the Sindh Assembly, Karachi City Council, and the provincial government. He can be found on X at @DawnReporterTS.

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Mohammad Akhtar

Dec 16, 2015 07:11am

Dr. Asim is a fraud, he should be prosecuted alongwith those who are aiding and abiting him.

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Muhammad

Dec 16, 2015 07:14am

Police are "experts " in cooking up evidence against the innocents and destroying evidence against real criminals. Since the cases against Dr Asim and Ayaan Ali are connected to the bigger fish, they will be twisted in such a way that courts will have no option but to exonerate them. Nothing will happen to Dr Asim or Ayaan Ali.

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Asad Khan

Dec 16, 2015 07:38am

We knew this was coming. The corruption will never stop, it will sink the nation. Today, when we are remembering the innocent victims of the APS attack, we hear another criminal is being let off the hook..so sad and so shameful.

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Zaheer

Dec 16, 2015 08:17am

People who voted MQM and PPP are supporter of DR. Asim so those people also want corruption and criminal activities in Karachi. Therefore, in this scenario Ranger can only try.

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Qamar Faruqui

Dec 16, 2015 08:22am

Very strange ! Police is defending criminals .

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M M AMIN

Dec 16, 2015 08:32am

Be not surprised friends ! Police is now private militia of whichever political party is in power . Poor DSP has to keep his job to feed his family .

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Mansoor Banglani

Dec 16, 2015 08:38am

Oh my God! At first, Sindh government appointed a criminal as the chairman of Higher Education Commission Sindh chapter, and then they have been spoiling the criminal case against him by using its accomplice department the so-called Sindh Police. What a shame!

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Javed Arshad

Dec 16, 2015 08:51am

@Zaheer Correct, we are trapped in a wishes cycle at least for now. Like it it or not these parties control the vote bank and therefore get elected. We also know that they are corrupt and have failed to deliver time and again. Such situations have resulted in Martial Laws in the past and that is not a solution. I see a massive outburst of common people cooking ................. As Faiz Ahmed Faiz says ..... Yeh chaheen to dunya ko apna bana lain ....... Yeh aaqaon kee hadian tak chaba lain ........ Hope those in the realms of power will wake up before that happens.

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Engr. khan

Dec 16, 2015 08:57am

Dr. Asim soon will be leaving for Dubai.

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Pakistan

Dec 16, 2015 09:01am

who are rangers to do such measures? go back to barracks.

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Kamran

Dec 16, 2015 09:21am

So, what else is new

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Thru-the-eyes-of-history

Dec 16, 2015 09:25am

IGP,along with other officers facing 'contempt of court' proceedings these days. DSP Altaf Hussain likes to release Dr Asim Hussain, CM not prepared to take action against corruptions,with an excuse it's a continued phenomenon since Liaquat Ali Khan

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Sajjad

Dec 16, 2015 09:32am

Honestly speaking its all Muk Muka as IK said so many times Federal Govt. is equally responsible, Accountability will never happen in Pakistan, How can one expect when looter and thugs are head of every system. Pakistan police is worse than thieves.

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SiD

Dec 16, 2015 09:36am

HENCE PROVED! why no one can trust POLICE! either be it of SINDH or PUNJAB! may sound absurd but it is high time to dissolve existing POLICE Force.. constitute a new one and no political interference should be allowed at ANY POINT..

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Syed Dilawar M. Shah

Dec 16, 2015 09:41am

Nip it in the BUD, if asim escapes punishment no will trust the four pillars, well done Rangers, the biased atitude of the Police should not be taken Granted for.

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Abdulla Hussain

Dec 16, 2015 10:30am

PPP through its people is playing a dangerous game. To give a clean chit to Dr. Asim is highly controversial & shows the involvement of the boss.

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M Jamal

Dec 16, 2015 10:37am

Ch Nisar has claimed on TV that the JIT report prepared by Sindh Government for Dr Asim in terrorism charges is compiled to favour Dr Asim for his acquittal.Commoner's wonder the creditability for the JIT reports and the courts must take suo moto action on this statement.

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Bitter truth

Dec 16, 2015 10:41am

DSP did the right thing,there are corruption charges on Dr. Asim not terrorism charges, all the corruption charges are still there,wise guys read the report carefully.

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zeshan

Dec 16, 2015 10:48am

People of Pakistan has no self dignity . The corrupt political system and its followers are both equally culprits.

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Baaligh

Dec 16, 2015 11:43am

QAMAR FARUQUI : "Very strange ! Police is defending criminals" Nothing so strange at all. Our fully politicized and corrupt police is always committed towards aiding criminals even in normal cases while in this case the accused criminal is a high profile person and a close associate of former president ...so no surprise to see him being defended and released by DSP.

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Do touk

Dec 16, 2015 11:50am

MQM associating with PPP under duress, because, otherwise PPP government might curb the powers of its mayor. But it should not sacrifice principles for short time gain

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karachi wala

Dec 16, 2015 11:59am

And then people complain when marshllaw comes. I rather havr dictator then democracy. People plaese try to understand I m saying this cuz for last 2 assemblies didnt do anything all tjey talk about is assembly is supreme but act like incompetent what is supreme about that

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Muhammad

Dec 16, 2015 12:57pm

dirty politics. No one is guilty in our country except those doesn't have the money.

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Dec 16, 2015 12:59pm

Ref Ayyaan...she's still walking around like a champion....do you really think there is justice and accountability in Pakistan ?!?

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Zeeshan

Dec 16, 2015 01:00pm

@Qamar Faruqui Very Naïve of you!

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iffi

Dec 16, 2015 01:02pm

Imran Khan is 100 % right in saying its all muk mukka in these parties whether its ppp, pmln, mqm, anp or juif, they all unite when any of there corrupt partner is tried in courts or apprehended..... what a shame some of us still believe the above parties are our saviors....

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Amir Shah

Dec 16, 2015 01:29pm

This is what PPP government has always done, never to prosecute any of their own cronies, no matter how corrupt they are. That's the reason for not allowing extension to Rangers to manage law and order in Sindh. This is yet another tragedy for our country where people like Dr Asim continue to manipulate the system and get away with. Shame on the PPP led government in Sindh. More sufferings for Sindh residents, thanks to PPP and MQM.

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bkt

Dec 16, 2015 01:36pm

All policemen involved should be arrested on charges of terrorism so that they are forced to surrender their politicians who need a spell in a basic prison. Otherwise as Marie Antoinette, oh sorry I mean the CM of Sindh, wants we will all be forced to eat cake, when we can't get any roti, kapra aur makan.

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bkt

Dec 16, 2015 01:42pm

@Bitter truth > That is not true. The charge of terrorism is that he was aiding and abetting known terrorists by admitting them to hospital. That is why he was being held under the anti-terror laws. Corruption was also a charge but the police could not refute the that he had aided the terrorists.

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Shahid

Dec 16, 2015 01:51pm

What a bad luck of this country that the rangers, who should be fighting the criminals, are made to fight the rulers and their police for protecting the criminals. Haven't we reached the highest point of a mafia run society?

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excalibur

Dec 16, 2015 02:10pm

the greatest evidence is an alive Dr Asim Hussain himself. He has to be kept in safe custody

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The Observer

Dec 16, 2015 02:31pm

Dr.Asim been released by Police.... what the hell.

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kam

Dec 16, 2015 02:41pm

Rangers should ignore police and simply carry on their operations. Arrest everyone involved in criminal activity.

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Rome cruiser

Dec 16, 2015 03:03pm

Welcome to Pakistan in 2015/16

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Imandar

Dec 16, 2015 03:11pm

Sharif brothers are securing their future.

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M Jamal

Dec 16, 2015 03:17pm

Are the JITs report drawn in Pakistan on the behest of the rulers as they suit them.Our Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar declaring on TV that the JIT prepared on the instruction of Sindh government absolved Dr Asim from terrorist activities.It is really pity and horrible on the working of our governments.Time to find the truth and the courts must take suo moto action to punish the culprits.

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Shahani

Dec 16, 2015 03:22pm

I think no authority of SHC on investigation. That is the concerned magistrate (ATC Judge) who can still take cognizance of case. Section 190 crpc reads "Magistrate can take cognizance of an offence even in case of negative report submitted by police that accusation is baseless and no case is made out against the delinquents."

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Taimoor Khan

Dec 16, 2015 03:36pm

This is a clear evidence of how deeply politicized the Police has become, just not in Sindh but every provenience of the country , except KPK perhaps. Police is no longer the guardians of the citizens but act as private militia of the elite and corrupts. Police department needs to be disbanded and created from scratch and in meantime, Rangers needs to be completely in charge of every Provence with full powers.

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khanm

Dec 16, 2015 05:37pm

Rangers go to SHC against police move to release Dr Asim... An excellent move but the question is, are rangers not being politicized... The question is all about fairness... get the power and do it across the board exclude no one....

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Zeeshan

Dec 16, 2015 05:43pm

Dr. Asim deserve to rule this nation. Pakistan deserve him, PPP and PMLN. Enjoy

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Dec 16, 2015 06:01pm

@Sajjad Once IK is in, he too will be part of this MukMuka.

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Imran

Dec 16, 2015 06:07pm

@Zeeshan you summed up pretty much what I was going to say in just one sentence. We simply don't deserve honest, honorable people leading our institutions. Let's just move on with our corruption, hatred, sectarianism while common citizens are crushed either by poverty or extremism every day. Although as muslim I am sure that there is accountability for all us in the hereafter but who cares we will think about judgement day when it comes...

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Kamran

Dec 16, 2015 06:28pm

Unless Army comes in forefront and prosecute them...nothing is going to happen...

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Nazar Mohuiddin

Dec 16, 2015 08:14pm

First thing is that one party say Dr.is guilty, and second patry say he not guilty, main is proof,evidence to be guilty,if not free him this the public court,there is another court where, all proof and evidence are recorded,Dr will be punished,on the here after, because it is the law,off the nature,he say truth,he will be punished here and be safe here after.

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Engr Atiq

Dec 16, 2015 08:14pm

One who is wrong must be punished weather he belongs to politics,judiciary or armed forces unfortunately no one is working for citizens of Pakistan.Accountability must done in all segments of society if u really want a prosperous Pakistan.Other wise All in vain

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Khan- Pakistani

Dec 16, 2015 08:20pm

Rangers failed their case and failed to bring anything in 90 days .

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Nazar Mohuiddin

Dec 16, 2015 08:27pm

Any person killing other person,for no meaning is big sin,killing person think I can flee to other countries,to safe his life,were is the end,he can't go out the world,he will be punished any were is stuck,he will be punished the same way as he has done to others,and will be punished here after, humans think,the nature is very very strong beware off it.

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khalid iqbal

Dec 16, 2015 08:46pm

what about the corruption that is going on right now.

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