KARACHI: An antiterrorism court has issued notices to defence on an application filed by the Sindh government seeking the court’s consent to withdraw an eight-year-old case against former federal minister and Pakistan Peoples Party leader Dr Asim Hussain pertaining to harbouring and treatment of militants at his private hospital.

Dr Asim along with five others, has been charged with treating and harbouring suspected terrorists, political militants and gangsters at the North Nazimabad and Clifton branches of his hospital at the behest of some politicians.

The PPP-led government’s request comes at a time when the trial of the case registered in 2015 is at a crucial stage of recording testimonies of the accused who belonged to the PPP, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, Pak Sarzameen Party and Pasban.

Others facing trial include federal health minister PPP’s Abdul Qadir Patel, MQM-P’s Amir Khan, former Karachi mayor Wasim Akhtar and Rauf Siddiqui, PSP’s president Anis Kaimkhani and Pasban leader Usman Moazzam.

On Saturday, the ATC-II judge was set to record testimonies of the accused persons, when special prosecutor Mohammad Younus informed the court that the Sindh government intended to withdraw the case against all the accused persons and for this the court’s consent was required.

He produced an official letter dated Feb 16 addressed to Sindh Prosecutor General Faiz Shah by the provincial home department.

Federal Health Minister Qadir Patel, ex-city mayor Wasim Akhtar are among five co-accused in terrorists harbouring and treatment case

In the letter, a copy of which available with Dawn, section officer Aqeel Hussain Mako stated that the “Competent Authority has been pleased to allow proposal for withdrawal of the case, with consent of the Court, as suggested by your office.”

Therefore, he requested the top prosecutor that the “concerned law officer of our department may be directed to seek consent of the trial court under the Section 494 (effect of withdrawal from prosecution) of the Criminal Procedure Code for withdrawal of the case State v/s Dr Asim Hussain and others”.

It further mentioned that the PG Sindh had suggested to the home department to withdraw the present case against the accused through a letter dated Jan 24.

Therefore, the judge issued notices to the defence counsel for all the undertrial politicians to advance their arguments on the provincial government’s plea seeking withdrawal of the case against them.

The Rangers had arrested Dr Asim from his office in Clifton on Aug 26, 2015. The following day, the Rangers informed an ATC that he had been placed under three-month preventive detention for inquiry under Section 11-EEEE of the Anti-Terrorism Act, claiming that they had credible information about his involvement in using embezzled funds to finance terrorism.

Later, the paramilitary force handed him over to police after lodging a case against him and others for allegedly treating and harbouring terrorists and gangsters.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2023