KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Thursday reissued warrants for the arrest of PPP leader Qadir Patel and Muttahida Qaumi Movement leaders Anis Qaimkhani and Saleem Shahzad in a case related to providing medical treatment and shelter to suspected terrorists.

Former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain, who is currently under treatment at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, has been booked on a complaint of the Rangers for allegedly treating and harbouring alleged terrorists and gangsters, who had been wounded in shootouts with law enforcers, at the North Nazimabad and Clifton branches of his hospital at the behest of political leaders.

MQM leaders Waseem Akhtar, Rauf Siddiqui, Anis Qaimkhani and Saleem Shahzad, Qadir Patel of the PPP and Usman Moazzam of socio-political group Pasban were also named in the case for allegedly asking Dr Asim to provide treatment and shelter to suspected terrorists.

At the outset of the hearing, the investigating officer through a report about the last warrants issued against the absconders, submitted that when he contacted Nadra to obtain the addresses of absconders, Nadra officials sought 10 days.

The IO said the real name of Saleem Shahzad was Saleem-ul-Haq and sought more time for the arrest of the absconding accused.

The Anti-Terrorism Court-II judge once again issued non-bailable warrants for the absconders with the direction to the IO to arrest and produce them in court till Feb 13.

A lawyer for Usman Moazzam moved an application seeking better facilities for him in prison and the court called record of his income tax on next hearing.

The counsel for Mr Akhtar, who along with Mr Siddiqui had been granted pre-arrest bail, requested the court to condone the absence of his client since he was out of the country.

Dr Asim was initially picked up by the Rangers on Aug 26 last year. The paramilitary force detained him for three months for inquiry. He is currently in the custody of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on remand for investigations for his alleged involvement in the misuse of authority in fraudulent allotment of plots and encroachment of state land for Dr Ziauddin Hospital/Trust, illegal gains, kickbacks and commission through fertilizer cartel for illegal curtailment of gas for exploitative price hike and black-marketing, fraud with public in the name of charity hospital and money-laundering.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2016