KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Tuesday sent Muttahida Qaumi Movement`s Karachi mayor-designate Waseem Akhtar, MPA Rauf Siddiqui and Pak Sarzameen Party president Anis Kaimkhani to prison after rejecting their bail pleas in a case relating to treatment of alleged terrorists at former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain`s hospitals.

A fourth suspect in the case, Abdul Qadir Patel of the Pakistan Peoples Party, escaped after his bail was dismissed. However, he later surrendered himself to police in the evening.

All the four suspects were given protective bail by the Sindh High Court and the trial court had granted them pre-arrest bail last year. At the last hearing, the court had reserved its order regarding confirmation or otherwise of their pre-arrest ball applications.

Dr Asim, a close aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari, has been booked on the complaint of Rangers for allegedly treating and harbouring suspected terror-ists, militants and gangsters at the North Nazimabad and Clifton branches of his hospital at the behest of the above-mentioned suspects.

Accompanied by their colleagues, Mr Akhtar, Mr Siddiqui and Mr Kaimkhani reached the ATC Complex in Clifton, near Bilawal House, on Tuesday. At about 2pm, the ATC-II judge announced the order in the packed-to-capacity courtroom, dismissing the bail pleas of the Karachi mayordesignate and three others.

The court observed that the evidence available on record, including the statements of the prosecution witnesses, appeared to be sufficient material to connect the applicants with the alleged offence.

As soon as the order was announced, a heavy contingent of police sealed all exits of the ATC Complex and did not allow anyone to enter or leave the premises.

Mr Patel arrived late and when he was informed about the dismissal of his bailapplication he escaped in his SUV in front of lawenforcers. The court, however, ordered the police to arrest him and send him to prison.

Mr Akhtar, Mr Siddiqui and Mr Kaimkhani remained on the premises of the ATC for around three hours, as the police did not allow even their lawyers to leave the premises and approach high court to get relief against the trial court`s order.

Extra police contingents from Darakhshan, Boat Basin, Clifton and Sahil police stations were called in to beef up security.

Investigation officer DSP Altaf Hussain said that the security arrangements were made to avert an incident like that of Mr Patel.

The MQM and PSP leaders were formally arrested when they left the courtroom and led to two armoured vehicles which were brought to the court premises for transporting them to prison.

As the armoured vehicle carrying the MQM leaders moved out of the court complex, lawyers and activists belonging to the party chanted slogans. Both Mr Akhtar and Mr Siddiqui emerged from the vehicle`s hatch and made victory signs.

They were sent to prison on judicial remand. The next hearing of the case will be on Aug 3.

Later in the evening, PPP leader Patel surrendered himself to the Boat Basin police. He claimed that he did not `escape` but only left the place because all doors were closed.

`I have returned from London to face the cases,` he told reporters outside the police station.`When I heard that my arrest has been ordered, I myself came to the police station to surrender.

The MQM termed the arrest of its mayoral nominee and MPA Siddiqui an extension of the Rangers-led operation. It said that the case against Dr Asim and its leaders was a bogus one and the former federal minister was targeted for being `Mohajir`.

It also saw the arrest as an attempt to prevent Mr Akhtar from becoming the mayor of Karachi.

Similarly, former Karachi mayor and PSP chairman Mustafa Kamal denied all charges against Mr Kaimkhani and said that he had no contact with Dr Asim.

According to the prosecution,Dr Asim was asked by the abovementioned suspects to provide medical treatment to `political militants, Lyari gangsters as well as activists of banned militant outfits` after they were wounded in shootouts with police and Rangers.

Dr Asim and Usman Moazam of Pasban are already in jail while Saleem Shahzad of MQM is an absconderin the case.

A case was registered at the North Nazimabad police station under Sections 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence or giving false information to screen offender), 202 (intentional omission to give information of offence by person bound to inform), 216 (harbouring offender who has escaped from custody whose apprehension has beenordered), 216-A (penalty for harbouring robbers or dacoits), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant or banker, merchant or agent) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Sections 21-I (abetment), 21-J (harbouring any person who committed an offence under this act) and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

The IO had released Dr Asim in December in the present case for lacl< of sufficient evidence.

However, the administrative judge of the ATCs had thrown out the IO`s report and sent the case to the ATC-II for trial after taking cognizance and observing that prima facie sufficient incriminating evidence/material are available against him and others to connect them with the case. KARACHI: An antiterrorism court on Tuesday sent Muttahida Qaumi Movement`s Karachi mayor-designate Waseem Akhtar, MPA Rauf Siddiqui and Pak Sarzameen Party president Anis Kaimkhani to prison after rejecting their bail pleas in a case relating to treatment of alleged terrorists at former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain`s hospitals.

A fourth suspect in the case, Abdul Qadir Patel of the Pakistan Peoples Party, escaped after his bail was dismissed. However, he later surrendered himself to police in the evening.

All the four suspects were given protective bail by the Sindh High Court and the trial court had granted them pre-arrest bail last year. At the last hearing, the court had reserved its order regarding confirmation or otherwise of their pre-arrest ball applications.

Dr Asim, a close aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari, has been booked on the complaint of Rangers for allegedly treating and harbouring suspected terror-ists, militants and gangsters at the North Nazimabad and Clifton branches of his hospital at the behest of the above-mentioned suspects.

Accompanied by their colleagues, Mr Akhtar, Mr Siddiqui and Mr Kaimkhani reached the ATC Complex in Clifton, near Bilawal House, on Tuesday. At about 2pm, the ATC-II judge announced the order in the packed-to-capacity courtroom, dismissing the bail pleas of the Karachi mayordesignate and three others.

The court observed that the evidence available on record, including the statements of the prosecution witnesses, appeared to be sufficient material to connect the applicants with the alleged offence.

As soon as the order was announced, a heavy contingent of police sealed all exits of the ATC Complex and did not allow anyone to enter or leave the premises.

Mr Patel arrived late and when he was informed about the dismissal of his bailapplication he escaped in his SUV in front of lawenforcers. The court, however, ordered the police to arrest him and send him to prison.

Mr Akhtar, Mr Siddiqui and Mr Kaimkhani remained on the premises of the ATC for around three hours, as the police did not allow even their lawyers to leave the premises and approach high court to get relief against the trial court`s order.

Extra police contingents from Darakhshan, Boat Basin, Clifton and Sahil police stations were called in to beef up security.

Investigation officer DSP Altaf Hussain said that the security arrangements were made to avert an incident like that of Mr Patel.

The MQM and PSP leaders were formally arrested when they left the courtroom and led to two armoured vehicles which were brought to the court premises for transporting them to prison.

As the armoured vehicle carrying the MQM leaders moved out of the court complex, lawyers and activists belonging to the party chanted slogans. Both Mr Akhtar and Mr Siddiqui emerged from the vehicle`s hatch and made victory signs.

They were sent to prison on judicial remand. The next hearing of the case will be on Aug 3.

Later in the evening, PPP leader Patel surrendered himself to the Boat Basin police. He claimed that he did not `escape` but only left the place because all doors were closed.

`I have returned from London to face the cases,` he told reporters outside the police station.`When I heard that my arrest has been ordered, I myself came to the police station to surrender.

The MQM termed the arrest of its mayoral nominee and MPA Siddiqui an extension of the Rangers-led operation. It said that the case against Dr Asim and its leaders was a bogus one and the former federal minister was targeted for being `Mohajir`.

It also saw the arrest as an attempt to prevent Mr Akhtar from becoming the mayor of Karachi.

Similarly, former Karachi mayor and PSP chairman Mustafa Kamal denied all charges against Mr Kaimkhani and said that he had no contact with Dr Asim.

According to the prosecution,Dr Asim was asked by the abovementioned suspects to provide medical treatment to `political militants, Lyari gangsters as well as activists of banned militant outfits` after they were wounded in shootouts with police and Rangers.

Dr Asim and Usman Moazam of Pasban are already in jail while Saleem Shahzad of MQM is an absconderin the case.

A case was registered at the North Nazimabad police station under Sections 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence or giving false information to screen offender), 202 (intentional omission to give information of offence by person bound to inform), 216 (harbouring offender who has escaped from custody whose apprehension has beenordered), 216-A (penalty for harbouring robbers or dacoits), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant or banker, merchant or agent) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Sections 21-I (abetment), 21-J (harbouring any person who committed an offence under this act) and 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

The IO had released Dr Asim in December in the present case for lacl< of sufficient evidence.

However, the administrative judge of the ATCs had thrown out the IO`s report and sent the case to the ATC-II for trial after taking cognizance and observing that prima facie sufficient incriminating evidence/material are available against him and others to connect them with the case.