Imran Farooq's widow makes emotional plea

Widow of Imran Farooq appeals for help in London while the police say they are still invest­igatin­g the attack.

LONDON: The widow of Imran Farooq, who was murdered in London last week, made a highly emotional appeal for help in catching his killers on Thursday as police said they were still investigating the reason for the attack.

Imran Farooq, 50, a founding member of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) party, was found dead outside his home in the Edgware area of north London last Thursday evening.

He had been repeatedly stabbed and had suffered head injuries as he returned home from work. His death led to a shutdown of Karachi, after the MQM, the city's dominant party, declared 10 days of mourning.

"Someone, somewhere knows something about my husband's murder," his wife Shumaila Imran, 42, told reporters, choking back tears. "His murder a week ago has devastated me and left our family in a state of shock and disbelief," she added, before being being led, weeping, from the room by a family friend.

Farooq, inactive in politics for about two years, claimed asylum in Britain 11 years ago after more than seven years on the run from Pakistani police who accused him of involvement in murder and other serious crimes. He denied the charges.

His killing is being investigated by London police's Counter Terrorism Command. However, a police spokeswoman said this was because of Farooq's political profile rather than because detectives believed the murder was a political assassination.

She declined to say whether anything had been stolen from Farooq.

"Detectives investigating the attack are keeping an open mind as to the motive behind this attack," said Detective Chief Superintendent Neil Basu. "I would like to reassure everyone that detectives are doing all they possibly can to catch those responsible." The murder shocked local Pakistani and Muslim communities, he added.