Imran Farooq murder: IHC issues notices to interior ministry, FIA, ATC

Asks if trial can be expedited by conducting proceedings on day-to-day basis

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC), on Thursday issued notices to respondents on a petition requesting the court to direct an anti-terrorism court (ATC) to expedite the trial of Dr Imran Farooq’s murder by conducting proceedings on a day-to-day basis.

A two-member division bench comprising Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi and Justice Athar Minallah issued notices to the respondents including the Ministry of interior, Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the trial court with directions to submit reply within a fortnight.

Sadia Bano, wife of Muazzam Ali who is standing trial in the murder case, had approached the IHC — through her counsel Nazia Bibi – claiming that her family was facing problems due to the lengthy detention of her husband in Islamabad.

In addition, she said that since she lives in Karachi, travelling to the capital to visit her husband and attend court proceedings was exacting a toll.

Bibi said that Bano’s husband was running a travel agency for the last 15 years and he had been picked up from his home in Karachi during a joint raid of the Rangers and police on April 12, 2015.

Later, she said, Muazzam was shifted to Islamabad and his case is pending adjudication before an ATC where the prosecution has yet to produce any witness before the court since the trial began.

In the petition, Bano said that it was not possible for either her or her family to easily meet him in jail while undertaking long journeys between the two cities time and again. She urged the court to direct the respondents to expedite the trial.

Two suspects, Khalid Shamim and Syed Mohsin Ali, have already recorded their confessional statements before the magistrate alleging that the slain Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader was killed as he was a “potent threat to the leadership of MQM.” Moazzam has not yet recorded confessional statement in the case.

Dr Farooq was stabbed and bludgeoned to death near his apartment in Green Lane, Edgware, in September 2010. The FIA had registered the case against MQM chief Altaf Hussain and other party leaders on December 5 the for their alleged involvement in the 2010 murder of Dr Imran Farooq.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 14^th, 2016.