Pakistan

Despite confessions no headway in Imran Farooq assassination case

Interior ministry rejects reports UK formally requested for repatriation of the accused

Azam Khan January 09, 2016

Rangers personnel bring back the accused of Imran Farooq murder case after hearing in Session Court. PHOTO: INP

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Saturday revealed that there is no headway in a case relating to the assassination of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) convener Dr Imran Farooq even though the key accused have made confessional statements.

Dr Farooq was stabbed and bludgeoned to death near his apartment in the Edgware neighbourhood of London in September 2010.

The interior ministry rejected media reports that Scotland Yard has formally requested for the repatriation of the key accused namely Khalid Shamim, Syed Mohsin Ali and Moazzam Ali who are currently in the custody of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

Imran Farooq murder case: FIA gets 7-day remand of three suspects

A statement issued by the interior ministry said neither Pakistani nor British authorities have so far made any contact for the repatriation of the accused. Moazzam Ali was arrested in March 2015 from Karachi while Khalid Shamim and Mohsin Ali were taken into custody by the Frontier Corps Balochistan from the border town of Chaman.

Investigators from the London Metropolitan Police, who have been investigating Dr Farooq’s assassination, flew into Pakistan in July and September last year to interrogate the accused. “But UK authorities have not made any formal request for their repatriation thus far,” said the ministry.

The government on December 5, 2015 decided to register a case in Pakistan to put the key accused on trial and, the FIA registered a case against MQM chief Altaf Hussain and other party leaders for their alleged involvement in the murder.

Legal wizards believe there is little scope for Pakistani authorities to pursue this case. But Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has refuted the legal opinion in a recent press conference.

This case took a new turn on Thursday, when two key suspects recorded their confessional statement before a magistrate court, saying the MQM leader was killed as he was a ‘potent threat’ to the leadership of the party.

In the statement, Mohsin said Moazzam had processed his visa and prepared travel documents. Shamim said he consented to joining the murder plot since he was a hardcore activist of the MQM. Shamim also disclosed that a senior MQM leader Muhammad Anwar issued orders for the murder of Farooq.

Moazzam has not yet recorded a confessional statement. The statements were recorded in Urdu and each statement took almost three hours to complete. Under the law, the suspects were explained that they were not bound to make a confession and if they do so it may be used as evidence against them.

Imran Farooq murder case: ATC extends remand of suspects

FIA’s counter-terrorism wing registered the case under the relevant clauses of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The clauses of conspiracy, assistance, abetment and assassination/murder have also been incorporated in the FIR.

Apart from Altaf Hussain, Muhammad Anwar, Iftikhar Hussain, Moazzam, Khalid, Mohsin and Kashif Kamran have also been nominated in the FIR. These MQM members have already been grilled by the Scotland Yard. MQM denied any member of the party was involved in Imran Farooq’s murder.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 10^th, 2016.

COMMENTS (1)

S.R.H. Hashmi | 8 years ago | Reply According to the report, Legal wizards believe there is little scope for Pakistani authorities to pursue this case. But Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has refuted the legal opinion in a recent press conference. This remind me of a joke. A mobile Police team informed its headquarters that it had apprehended a person who has confessed to the murder they were investigating. However, the over-enthusiastic team was asked to release the person immediately as the headquarter already had in its custody four persons who had been brought by four different police team, and they all had confessed to the murder. Obviously, with the investigating ‘procedures’ in Pakistan being what they are, and universally known, these confession are unlikely to persuade the London authorities to release the top MQM leaders, whom Chaudhry Nisar seems to be quite excited, and confident of bringing to Pakistan soon and thus prove, for once in his life time, that he is capable of putting up formidable performance. Civilian side of the National Action Plan has mostly remained unimplemented for which Chaudhry Nisar bears the responsibility because of being the Federal Interior Minister. So, lacking courage to take on the hardened terrorists and extremists, he has picked up the case of Dr. Imran Farooq who was murdered, not in Pakistan but on British soil five years back, and who had fled from Pakistan with little possibility of ever returning here, and for whom the government had announced a three million rupees head money. As such, the case has little relevance to Pakistan but can be used to intimidate, threaten and hound MQM’s Pakistani leadership, which is what interests Chaudhry Nisar, and I suppose the Rangers. And there is another case; that of Dr. Asim Hussain, which is being used to the full against both Peoples Party as well as MQM. While Dr. Asim Hussain’s corruption is causing so much offence to the powerful sectors, the massive corruption carried on for decades in the neighbouring province fails to attract their attention, which raises suspicion that perhaps the clever operators there put part of proceeds in a divisible pool from which others get a share. I think it is about time the higher ups appointed a competent, broadminded person in the all-important position of Federal Interior Minister, instead of having one like Chaudhry Nisar who uses his position and authority to pursue his hateful, personal agenda, and in the process, is likely to mess things up for everyone, including the government. Being revengeful is a negative sentiment which is likely to become far more lethal when adopted by powerful officials and institutions. I hope good sense prevails. Karachi.

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