'Political militants were given refuge at hospital on Dr Asim's orders'

Islamabad: An anti-terrorism court on Monday extended for seven days the police remand of Dr Asim Hussain, a former federal minister and close aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari, in a case relating to providing treatment and shelter to terrorists.
The administration judge of the court declined request by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to hand over Asim to its custody but allowed it to interrogate him during police custody.
Ziauddin hospital's deputy managing director Dr Yousuf Sattar confessed on Monday that "political militants" were given refuge at the hospital on former petroleum minister's orders.
"Some political militants were also given a hideout in the hospital," Dr Sattar said before a central district judicial magistrate in Karachi.
Dr Sattar alleged that on instructions of Dr Asim, several "political" militants were treated at discounted rates. "Some MQM leaders used to call me in order to influence me to provide medical assistance to terrorists injured in clashes with rivals and law enforcers," he added.
Dr Asim, who is in police custody on a physical remand in connection with terrorism charges, was also present in a local court, where the witness (Dr Yusuf Sattar) recorded his statement under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC).
The judicial magistrate made his statement a part of the ongoing case against Dr Asim. The sealed statement will be sent to an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Karachi, where a hearing of the case is being conducted.
Dr Sattar had been detained by the law enforcement agencies on August 29 after a raid was carried out at his office in North Nazimabad, Karachi. Dr Sattar is said to be a close aide of Dr Asim, who was detained over corruption charges on August 26. He has been associated with the Ziauddin Hospital for the past fifteen years. The ATC had remanded Dr Asim in police custody on Thursday over accusations of harbouring and aiding terrorists. The suspect's 90-day preventive detention with Rangers had expired a day earlier.
The judge handed over the custody of the former federal minister to police for four days for further interrogation.
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