Is Dr Asim the richest man in the world?

KARACHI: A Joint Interrogation Team declared Dr Asim Hussain ‘the richest man in the world’ in its report, a charge which seems far-fetched even if he allegedly has an $88 billion market cap. Is he really richer than Bill Gates? All this has yet to be proved in court.

I met him for a few hours in a Jinnah Hospital executive ward. He looked confident though not happy with the Sindh Government. The former minister agreed to give details of his 90-day ordeal of intense interrogation, in which he was also asked about his alleged meeting with former RAW chief in India.

Dr Asim’s arrest last year became the breaking point between former president Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The issue has practically ended the 'friendly opposition' tag on the Pakistan People’s Party, and the latter joined hands with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

In a highly charged political atmosphere, all opposition parties have joined hands to build pressure on the prime minister to constitute an independent commission. They may also jointly demand his resignation in a May 2 meeting. In such a situation, the PTI may face problems in defending Jehangir Tareen and PPP in Asim's case.

PPP leader Aitzaz Ahsan once refused to defend Dr Asim over corruption allegations but condemned his trial under anti-terrorism act. However, despite instructions from Mr Zardari, that at least two PPP leaders must ensure their presence in the court whenever Asim is produced, hardly any prominent leader except Senator Saeed Ghani visited him.

His reply was in “no” when asked about the Sindh government cooperation and support, but avoided adding anything further except that he has been put in this condition because of some “friends”. He said he was not sure whether Sindh government consent was sought before his arrest.

Surprisingly, he was allowed to transfer his assets to his son’s name last week while a high profile case of corruption is underway. No one knows how much assets were transferred on the files he had signed for his son. His wife is fighting a dangerous cancer disease abroad.

The document and JIT (copies available) revealed he owned properties, business, and has over 36 companies abroad including UAE, Kuwait, the US, the UK, Oman, Qatar, besides allegedly taking kick-backs and commission. He has also been accused of terror financing, money-laundering, and facilitating terrorists of the MQM and Lyari gang.

The accused has disclosed about as many as 207 cash transactions report (CTR) and one suspicious transaction report (STRs) has been raised by different banks and reported to Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU), according to the JIT. 

“Yes, these are allegations on me and the JIT has declared me the richest man in the world. I have more money than Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Amanico Ortega, so they say,” he said.

He has been accused of involvement in huge illegal lands allotment, which he was supposed to use for a charity trust and a cancer hospital: a plot of 2.8 acres in Clifton, one in KDA, and 1,347 sq yards in North Nazimabad.

Although there is no mention of Asim’s alleged link with Indian RAW, but the former adviser of the Sindh government disclosed for the first time that the first three questions, which the JIT asked him were, “(1) Do you know the RAW chief and did you meet him in Delhi? I said no. (2) Do you also own a hospital in Bhopal? I said why should I have hospital in Bhopal? (3) Have you met the US ambassador to India during your visit to Delhi? I said no,” Asim said, while a doctor examined his blood pressure.

These days, he seems to be quite fond of Islamic books, as I saw a number of books on his shelf in a two-room ward with one attendant. During the conversation, he twice took medicine and showed me documents of the charges he is faces.

What happened when they first picked you, I asked. “They came to my office and asked me to accompany them for some questioning. At that time I was not blindfolded. After my first meeting with the DG Rangers, who politely said, his men would ask few questions from me,” he said.

“I was then blindfolded and they took me to a safe-house somewhere in North Nazimabad. Later, they shifted me to different places, one of which could be near the railway station as I could hear the sound of trains,” Asim said in a very composed manner.

However, he denied he has ever been “physically tortured”.

“No, I was not physically hurt and during the 90-days remand I was only interrogated for 17 days, from five minutes to six hours”.

“I was treated well and given a comfortable air-conditioned room, but faced tough questions during video recordings,” he said, adding most of the questions related to corruption, property, but they did ask about giving treatment to MQM and Lyari gang-war terrorists.

“They were four to five people during interrogation. JIT comprising representatives of ISI, MI, IB, Special Branch and two from Rangers." All have unanimously declared him as 'Jet Black', meaning most dangerous category.

According to JIT finding, the accused disclosed, (1) involvement in harbouring/facilitating the target killers of the MQM (A) and other banned organisations through providing medical facilities in his Ziauddin Hospital, which needs further probing, (2) involvement in money laundering, (3) involved in illegal appointments, promotions, recruitment, implementation of arbitrary decisions, illegal contracts in SSGC/PSO and others after receiving huge kickbacks, (4) involvement in illegal registration of medical college and misuse of funds in PMDC.

He was only once asked about his relation with Asif Ali Zardari. “I was once advised by a senior interrogator to name Asif and I will get the relief. I declined his offer on the pretext that there is nothing between us except close friendship”

But, the JIT revealed, “he has never actively participated in political activities but remained his supporter since his (Zardari) school days. He was appointed federal minister in 2011-13, which provided him the opportunity to expand his political influence as petroleum minister to undertake massive collaborative corruption for personal goals”.

“Yes, Asif is my old friend but he was not my classmate at Petaro. I was not there when he led the protest against the then-principal. Dr Zulfiqar Mirza and Abbas Rizvi were closer to him. Asif quit Petaro in class VIII, but he joined later. After school I met Asif, after a very long time, in Karachi,” he added.

The JIT revealed that on the instructions of Asif Zardari, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, Qadir Patel and Muzzafar Tapi looked after issues of Lyari gangs and weapons supply. Accused Dr Asim also had good relations with top MQM leaders including Altaf Hussain, Dr Farooq Sattar, Nadeem Nusrat, Haider Abbas Rizvi, Waseem Akhtar and Mustafa Azizabadi. 

Dr Asim Hussain has his own case to defend from money-laundering to facilitating terrorists, but the NAB and Rangers' prosecution has a huge task ahead to prove one of the biggest cases of corruption. How can a man from a middle class family became the 'richest man in the world'. Can they prove it?

The writer is a senior columnist and analyst of Geo, The News and Jang

—Originally published in The News