KARACHI: The row between the Sindh and federal governments over the arrest of Dr Asim Hussain, a close confidante of former president Asif Ali Zardari, took a dramatic turn on Wednesday when the provincial government submitted in the Sindh High Court that he was unlawfully arrested by Rangers.

The chief law officer of the province made the submission during the hearing of a constitutional petition filed by Dr Asim’s wife against his detention.

While giving the provincial government’s response on the petition, Advocate General for Sindh Abdul Fatah Malik told a two-judge bench that the paramilitary force had not taken the provincial government into confidence before Dr Asim’s arrest.

Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, who headed the bench, remarked that the Rangers had detained a number of people and asked the AG if the paramilitary troops had sought prior permission from the provincial government for those arrests.

The AG, however, opted to evade the court’s query and argued that the powers granted to the Rangers under Article 147 of the Constitution were not extended by the Sindh Assembly and this was supposed to take place within 60 days.

He immediately added that the extension would take place when one of the bench members asked him if he meant that the deployment of the Rangers in the province was illegal.

The advocate general further contended that Dr Asim did not have a criminal background and that the Rangers had not shared any evidence against him.

The bench asked the federal government law officer, Additional Attorney General Salman Talibuddin, about the material pertaining to the arrest of Dr Asim.

He sought time from the court to seek instructions from the federation in this regard.

The bench granted his request and adjourned the hearing to Oct 27.

The petitioner wife asked the court to order the release of her husband. She cited the federal and Sindh governments, National Accountability Bureau and Federal Investigation Agency as respondents.

Dr Asim’s arrest came in what has been described as the first major action against the Pakistan Peoples Party leadership during the ongoing Karachi operation. He was arrested on Aug 26 for his alleged involvement in a graft-related scam and later Rangers detained him for 90 days.

In 2009, he was elected Senator from Sindh on a PPP ticket. He served first as the minister of petroleum and natural resources and then as 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 higher education commission.

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

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2015

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