SC rejects Moazzam Ali's bail plea in Imran Farooq murder case

Reports reveal Moazzam was in contact with the murderer through phone calls, before and after Dr Farooq's murder

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the bail plea of Moazzam Ali Khan currently standing trial in Dr Imran Farooq's murder case.

Maintaining Islamabad High Court's (IHC) order, a two-judge bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, observed that the co-accused was in contact with the alleged murderer through phone calls before and after Dr Farooq's murder.



The bench further observed that it would not be appropriate for the court to interfere at this stage.

Deputy Attorney General Sohail Mahmood stated that Khan had provided financial assistance to the murderers.

A division bench of the IHC was set to announce its verdict on Khan's bail plea on June 13. The bench comprising Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi and Justice Athar Minallah had reserved the verdict on June 1 after both the parties concluded their arguments on the bail application.

Khan through his counsel, Mansoor Afridi, had moved bail application after an anti-terrorism court (ATC) had dismissed his plea.

In his arguments, Afridi said that the FIA did not have an iota of evidence against Khan and delay in registering the case after five years was not explained.



With all efforts of the Scotland Yard, the MQM chief, Altaf Hussain, and others have not yet been arrested in the case, he said, adding that it only happened in Pakistan where anyone was named in the FIR or charge sheet and subsequently put behind the bars.

Afridi said that the interim charge sheet submitted before the ATC did not constitute any offence against Khan.

The FIA had cited 11 witnesses in the report, he said, and none of them had anything to disclose relating to the charges of conspiracy or abetment against Khan.