KARACHI: An antiterrorism court (ATC) on Thursday remanded Dr Asim for 90 days to Rangers custody.

The former federal minister was presented in ATC-III by the Rangers today who informed the court that Dr Asim has been placed under a 90-day preventive detention under Section 11-EEEE of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

Court sources told Dawn that the Rangers contended that they have credible information regarding Dr Asim's involvement in terrorism related activities as well as embezzlement of funds.

Therefore, ATC-III placed Dr Asim under a 90-day remand to Rangers custody for further inquiry.

Dr Asim Hussain's arrest challenged in SHC

A petition was filed in the Sindh High Court on Thursday challenging the arrest of Dr Asim Hussain, a former federal minister and the chairman of the provincial Higher Education Commission (HEC).

The petition was filed by Dr Asim's mother and Advocate Maulvi Iqbal Haider who contended that the former federal minister was an esteemed politician and his detention was unlawful as he did not have a criminal record.

Dr Asim's arrest came in what has been described as the first major action against the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership during the ongoing Karachi operation. A close aide to former president Asif Ali Zardari, he was taken into custody on Wednesday.

The petitioners have asked that the court order for Dr Asim to be released. The federal and Sindh governments, the National Acountability Bureau (NAB) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) have been made party in the petition.

Meanwhile, Dr Zareen, Dr Asim's wife, wrote a letter to Inspector General Sindh that her husband suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure and relies on medication. She asked for permission to be allowed to meet Dr Asim in order to monitor his condition.

Read more: Dr Asim taken into custody

No anti-corruption agency or even police have confirmed his arrest, but sources said he was taken into custody when he was in a meeting held at the Sindh HEC’s Clifton office on the appointment of a new vice-chancellor of the Dow University of Health Sciences.

Over a dozen men in plain-clothes belonging to the Federal Investigation Agency and an intelligence outfit arrived at the HEC office at around noon Wednesday and the man leading them introduced himself to Dr Asim and asked him to accompany them. Dr Asim was then taken to an undisclosed location for questioning.

Sources said that before the team arrived at the HEC office, the building had been surrounded by Rangers to ward off any potential resistance by Dr Asim's armed guards.

The NAB has denied having anything to do with Dr Asim's detention.

According to sources, Dr Asim was being grilled for his alleged involvement in illegal occupation of government land in North Nazimabad and Clifton for the extension of his Dr Ziauddin Hospital.

Besides, they said, Dr Asim was also being questioned for allegedly misusing authority when he was petroleum minister/adviser during the PPP government at the centre after the 2008 general election.

In 2009, he was elected Senator from Sindh on a PPP ticket. He served as the minister of petroleum and natural resources and then the prime minister’s adviser with the same portfolio until 2012.

After the 2013 general elections, the PPP government in Sindh made him chairman of the provincial HEC.

He is also believed to be close to the top leadership of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.