Probe into Imran Farooq murder becomes reason for ‘pleasure trips’
Several FIA investigators have travelled to UK but made very little progress
PHOTO: EXPRESS
ISLAMABAD:
Imran Farooq’s murder case has become a tool for regular pleasure trips to the United Kingdom for investigators of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the name of so-called inquiries.
Ironically, the investigation officer (IO) of the case is not being allowed to travel to the UK for the investigation. However, top officials of the FIA will be visiting the country again at taxpayers’ cost. Even after several trips, no progress of any sort has been made in the case, stated reliable sources.
Dr Farooq was stabbed and bludgeoned to death near his apartment in London in September 2010. On December 5, 2015, the FIA registered a case against the MQM chief and other party leaders for their alleged involvement in the 2010 murder of Dr Imran Farooq.
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According to sources, a four member team of FIA including its Director General is supposed to visit UK again and for the third time since investigation started over here. However, the team was never given access by the British Authorities to any of the accused including Altaf Hussain. This is reliably learnt that FIA has also not been able to access inquiry made by the Scotland Yard into the murder case thus there seems little hope that the team would have any breakthrough this time around as well. So much so, it is also learnt that the investigators have also failed to gain access to the murder weapon, which is a knife and a house brick, used to assassinate the deceased MQM leader.
However, the case has become source of ‘all-expense paid’ vacation for the investigating team, with these expenses being paid out of the national kitty, harvesting hardly any result. The source further stated the IO of the case would not be taken along for this tour, supposed to take place soon.
Earlier, the probe team was supposed to visit UK on August 5 but it cancelled its trip because it wanted to win nod of PTI’s government in this connection. This is learnt that after getting approval of the newly formed government, the team would continue their trip. Sources stated that FIA during its trip to UK would request authorities to get it access to the accused to record their statement besides accessing to investigations which have been made so far by the local police authorities there. This scribe attempted to get version of DG FIA Bashir Memon over the story but he was inaccessible despite repeated attempts.
During first week of May this year the three main suspects in the murder case, Khalid Shamim, Syed Mohsin Ali and Moazzam Ali were indicted by the anti-terrorism court. The suspects pleaded not guilty to the indictment, which came after almost two years after the completion of legal formalities.
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The ATC also issued perpetual arrest warrants against the MQM founder and directed authorities to attach details of his property and block his Computerised National Identity Card, if still valid.
The case was recently transferred to ATC-II from ATC-I on the orders of the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Two of the suspects, Khalid Shamim and Syed Mohsin Ali, have already recorded their confessional statements before a magistrate, alleging that the slain MQM leader was killed because he was a “potent threat to the leadership of MQM”. Shamim confessed that Farooq’s murder was a ‘birthday gift’ for the MQM founder while Syed stated that he took part in the crime because he was promised a position in the party’s London secretariat.
Imran Farooq’s murder case has become a tool for regular pleasure trips to the United Kingdom for investigators of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the name of so-called inquiries.
Ironically, the investigation officer (IO) of the case is not being allowed to travel to the UK for the investigation. However, top officials of the FIA will be visiting the country again at taxpayers’ cost. Even after several trips, no progress of any sort has been made in the case, stated reliable sources.
Dr Farooq was stabbed and bludgeoned to death near his apartment in London in September 2010. On December 5, 2015, the FIA registered a case against the MQM chief and other party leaders for their alleged involvement in the 2010 murder of Dr Imran Farooq.
FIA discovers another 15 fake accounts with transactions worth Rs6 billion
According to sources, a four member team of FIA including its Director General is supposed to visit UK again and for the third time since investigation started over here. However, the team was never given access by the British Authorities to any of the accused including Altaf Hussain. This is reliably learnt that FIA has also not been able to access inquiry made by the Scotland Yard into the murder case thus there seems little hope that the team would have any breakthrough this time around as well. So much so, it is also learnt that the investigators have also failed to gain access to the murder weapon, which is a knife and a house brick, used to assassinate the deceased MQM leader.
However, the case has become source of ‘all-expense paid’ vacation for the investigating team, with these expenses being paid out of the national kitty, harvesting hardly any result. The source further stated the IO of the case would not be taken along for this tour, supposed to take place soon.
Earlier, the probe team was supposed to visit UK on August 5 but it cancelled its trip because it wanted to win nod of PTI’s government in this connection. This is learnt that after getting approval of the newly formed government, the team would continue their trip. Sources stated that FIA during its trip to UK would request authorities to get it access to the accused to record their statement besides accessing to investigations which have been made so far by the local police authorities there. This scribe attempted to get version of DG FIA Bashir Memon over the story but he was inaccessible despite repeated attempts.
During first week of May this year the three main suspects in the murder case, Khalid Shamim, Syed Mohsin Ali and Moazzam Ali were indicted by the anti-terrorism court. The suspects pleaded not guilty to the indictment, which came after almost two years after the completion of legal formalities.
FIA officials suspended for manhandling 'drunk, aggressive passenger' at Karachi airport
The ATC also issued perpetual arrest warrants against the MQM founder and directed authorities to attach details of his property and block his Computerised National Identity Card, if still valid.
The case was recently transferred to ATC-II from ATC-I on the orders of the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Two of the suspects, Khalid Shamim and Syed Mohsin Ali, have already recorded their confessional statements before a magistrate, alleging that the slain MQM leader was killed because he was a “potent threat to the leadership of MQM”. Shamim confessed that Farooq’s murder was a ‘birthday gift’ for the MQM founder while Syed stated that he took part in the crime because he was promised a position in the party’s London secretariat.