ISLAMABAD (SW): Authorities in Pakistan have charged former top officials that include a former prime minister, a senior minister and a federal adviser with corruption and alleged involvement in terrorism related activities as well as embezzlement of funds worth billions.
Pakistan’s former Federal Advisor on Oil and Natural Resources Asim Hussain, who was currently serving as head of the Provincial Higher Education Commission, has been handed over to the Para-military force Rangers’ custody on Thursday for 90 days.
Hussain was arrested from his office a day earlier by intelligence agency’s personnel on charges not made public yet. Local media speculates that the former advisor has information about some key political personalities involved in money-laundering worth billions.
Hussain is considered a close aide of former President Asif Ali Zardari. He was appointed as the federal minister for petroleum during the Zardari’s era in 2008, during which he was accused of corruption in the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Liquefied Natural Gas (LPG) deals and indiscriminately issuing licenses for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations.
His involvement in terrorism related activities as well as embezzlement of funds has also been speculated.
Separately, a federal anti-corruption court in Karachi also issued non-bail able warrants for the arrest of a former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Senior Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim also associated with Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). Gilani and Fahim have been charged with 12 new cases — relating to multi-billion rupee scandal in the Trade Development Authority (TDAP) — registered against the two before the court.
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