Suspects change statements in Dr Farooq murder case

Khalid Shamim and Mohsin Ali tell ATC they were tortured to confess before a magistrate

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court recorded on Wednesday the statements of suspects Khalid Shamim and Mohsin Ali in the murder case of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Imran Farooq.

Both the suspects changed their statements of confession in front of the magistrate.

Khalid said he was tortured prior to the recording of his earlier statement before a magistrate. He added that he was forced by the investigation officer of the case to confess to his involvement in the murder.

Mohsin said he had refused to confess before the magistrate despite being subjected to mental and physical torture.

He alleged that he had complained to the magistrate about his treatment. However, he added, a confession statement prepared earlier was signed and attested by the magistrate.

Khalid, Mohsin and a third suspect, Moazzam Ali, were indicted by an anti-terrorism court last year. The suspects pleaded not guilty to the indictment.

Captain (retd) Shoaib had recorded Khalid and Mohsin’s earlier confessional statements.

According to those statements, Khalid and Mohsin had alleged that Dr Farooq was killed because he was a “potent threat to the MQM leadership”.

The third suspect, Moazzam Ali, had not recorded a confessional statement.

In their earlier statements, Khalid had confessed that Dr Farooq’s murder was a “birthday gift” for the MQM founder and Syed had stated that he took part in the crime because he was promised a position in the MQM’s London Secretariat.

Dr Farooq, a founding member of the MQM, 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 Farooq.

The slain MQM leader, inactive in politics for about two years then, had claimed asylum in Britain after more than seven years on the run from police in Pakistan who had accused him of involvement in murder and other serious crimes. He had denied the charges.