KARACHI: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has accused the federal government of politicising the Karachi operation.

Talking to reporters at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medi­cal Centre (JPMC) which he visited on Saturday to inquire after the health of former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain, he alleged that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was using the interior ministry to politicise the Karachi operation.

Dr Hussain suffered from the transient ischemic attack (TIA), often referred to as a mini-stroke, in the ‘sub-jail’ of the health facility on Friday.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari said he believed that Sindh and political parties of the province had become a target of the federal government in this operation.

The PPP chairman put his weight behind Waseem Akhtar of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) and questioned the credibility of cases against the imprisoned mayor of Karachi. He supported the MQM’s call for the release of Mr Akhtar.

He condemned registration of terrorism cases against Mr Akhtar, Dr Hussain and Qadir Patel of the PPP and other politicians. Antiterrorism laws were for terrorists, and not for these politicians who themselves were victims of terrorism, he added.

The PPP chairman condemned the trial and detention of Dr Hussain and said that the former federal minister had been a political prisoner of the PML-N government for over a year now. “Dr Hussain is the only politician who has been detained under anti-terror laws,” he said, adding that the former federal minister had also faced a 90-day detention by Rangers like a terrorist.

After the TIA, Dr Hussain underwent an emergency check-up during which his MRI and CT scan tests were conducted. According to doctors, the TIA was caused by high blood pressure and stress. They have advised him complete rest.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2016