KARACHI: Three days after the arrest of former federal minister and chairman of the provincial Higher Education Commission (HEC) Dr Asim Hussain, the Pakistan Rangers on Saturday raided his Dr Ziauddin Hospital in North Nazimabad, searched the administration block of the building, went through files and records and took away his close aide and a senior management official of the health facility, sources said.

While there was no word from the paramilitary force about the action, sources and witnesses said the contingent of Pakistan Rangers entered the hospital building in the afternoon and stayed there for more than half an hour.

“During that time exit and entrance of the facility were closed and manned by the Rangers soldiers,” said a witness.

“The Rangers soldiers led by an officer or two visited different blocks of the hospital and questioned the management staff. They also visited the administration block and stayed there for a few minutes. Finally, they left and took Dr Yousuf Sattar along with them.”

The sources said that Dr Sattar was a close aide of Dr Hussain and looked after business of his healthcare services including North Nazimabad and Clifton campuses of Dr Ziauddin Hospital, Dr Ziauddin Cancer Hospital, Dr Ziauddin Hospital KDLB, Keamari Campus and Dr Ziauddin Memorial Hospital.

“The location and reason behind Dr Sattar’s reported detention has not been disclosed, but obviously it’s linked with the arrest of Dr Hussain. You may see more actions on these lines in the coming days,” said a security official.

Sindh HEC chairman Dr Hussain was detained by plain-clothes men allegedly belonging to an intelligence agency on Wednesday while he was chairing a meeting that was also attended by other high-ranking officials of the commission and the search committee for vice chancellors.

Personnel of the raiding team asked the participants in the meeting to switch off their mobile phones following which the Sindh HEC chairman was whisked away to an undisclosed location.

On Thursday, the Pakistan Rangers informed an antiterrorism court that Dr Hussain, also close aide to former president Asif Ali Zardari, was under preventive detention for 90 days for allegedly using embezzled funds to finance terrorism.

When asked about raids one after another on facilities and properties, owned by the former federal minister, the official said the exercise was result of findings after initial investigation that could continue for a few more days.

“The investigations are on against Dr Hussain and there was enough initial evidence to take him into custody,” he said. He said the law enforcement agencies were in the phase of investigations. With every new finding or fact indicating involvement and connivance of other persons in the alleged embezzlement, arrests would be made, he added.

“No one should wonder over the follow-up actions as they are common in every criminal case,” the official said.

In response to a query about the nature of “terrorism” that Dr Hussain was allegedly “financing” by embezzling funds, he said the follow-up actions and arrest were part of the probe on the same lines and the investigators were confident about coming up with concrete evidence within the time frame allowed by the judicial process.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Dr Ziauddin Hospital in the evening confirmed to Dawn the entire episode shared by the security official.

However, he said, the hospital management was still unaware about Dr Sattar’s whereabouts.

“Rangers soldiers on two vehicles came to the hospital,” he said. “They entered and visited the hospital before finally moving to meet our deputy medical superintendent Dr Sattar. When their meeting ended after 20 to 25 minutes, they took him away. The Rangers have not seized any document or file but we are not aware about the whereabouts of Dr Sattar,” he added.

Meanwhile, the paramilitary officials on Saturday filed a medical report about Dr Hussain in the Anti-Terrorism Court-III. It stated that the doctors examined the detainee and conducted necessary tests and he was found medically fit and healthy.

“Dr Hussain is being taken care of very well. He has been looked after by a medical team comprising a doctor and two nurses, which is at his service round the clock,” said an official citing report details.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2015

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