UK police will visit Islamabad to interrogate Imran Farooq muder suspects: Nisar
Interior Minister says Pakistan would help the British police in a transparent investigation
Chaudhry Nisar. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The London Metropolitan police has been granted access to suspects linked to the murder of Dr Imran Farooq, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on Tuesday.
“The Metropolitan Police officials will be visiting Islamabad in the coming week to question one of the accused but it is still undecided whether the investigation will be direct or indirect,” he said while addressing a press briefing in the capital.
Imran Farooq, 50, a founding member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party, was stabbed and beaten to death in Edgware in northwest London as he returned home from work in September 2010.
Nisar said Pakistan would help the British police in a transparent investigation.
"We will ensure proper investigation without any prejudice, without any favour," he told reporters.
The suspects were arrested last week in Balochistan near the Afghan border. "The suspects are in custody of the Frontier Corps in Quetta. We will bring them to Islamabad and assist the British police in the investigations," the minister said.
Announcing the arrest last week of Khalid Shamim and Mohsin Ali, the government termed it a breakthrough in the case.
British detectives said last May they want to question Ali and another man, Muhammad Kashif Khan Kamran, about the attack. Both were in Britain in the period leading up to it and left hours afterwards.
The interior minister also informed the media that two accused were in Quetta under the custody of Frontier Corps (FC) and added that the next step of the government will be to bring all the accused to Islamabad so that the investigation could be carried out.
Read: FC arrests two suspects involved in Dr Imran Farooq murder
“Though we do not have any extradition treaty with the UK government but we did receive an application from the British team for legal help in the case,” said Nisar and added, “We have good relations with the UK government and being a signatory country in the UN, it is our responsibility to cooperate with the UK as per international agreements”.
The interior minister said time and again the leadership of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had expressed their desire to bring those involved in Imran Farooq’s murder, and that the case shouldn’t be perceived as against the party.
“Please don’t treat it as MQM-specific,” said Nisar.
Nisar once again vowed to bring the killers of Dr Imran Farooq to justice and said all the accused were put in detention under ATA, clarifying that no action will be taken under pressure.
On June 18, the Frontier Corps arrested two suspects reportedly involved in MQM leader Imran Farooq’s murder from the Pakistan, Afghanistan border town of Chaman.
“The men identified as Khalid Shamim and Mohsin Ali were arrested on a tip-off,” a FC spokesperson said, adding that the men belong to a political party based in Karachi.
The London Metropolitan police has been granted access to suspects linked to the murder of Dr Imran Farooq, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said on Tuesday.
“The Metropolitan Police officials will be visiting Islamabad in the coming week to question one of the accused but it is still undecided whether the investigation will be direct or indirect,” he said while addressing a press briefing in the capital.
Imran Farooq, 50, a founding member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party, was stabbed and beaten to death in Edgware in northwest London as he returned home from work in September 2010.
Nisar said Pakistan would help the British police in a transparent investigation.
"We will ensure proper investigation without any prejudice, without any favour," he told reporters.
The suspects were arrested last week in Balochistan near the Afghan border. "The suspects are in custody of the Frontier Corps in Quetta. We will bring them to Islamabad and assist the British police in the investigations," the minister said.
Announcing the arrest last week of Khalid Shamim and Mohsin Ali, the government termed it a breakthrough in the case.
British detectives said last May they want to question Ali and another man, Muhammad Kashif Khan Kamran, about the attack. Both were in Britain in the period leading up to it and left hours afterwards.
The interior minister also informed the media that two accused were in Quetta under the custody of Frontier Corps (FC) and added that the next step of the government will be to bring all the accused to Islamabad so that the investigation could be carried out.
Read: FC arrests two suspects involved in Dr Imran Farooq murder
“Though we do not have any extradition treaty with the UK government but we did receive an application from the British team for legal help in the case,” said Nisar and added, “We have good relations with the UK government and being a signatory country in the UN, it is our responsibility to cooperate with the UK as per international agreements”.
The interior minister said time and again the leadership of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had expressed their desire to bring those involved in Imran Farooq’s murder, and that the case shouldn’t be perceived as against the party.
“Please don’t treat it as MQM-specific,” said Nisar.
Nisar once again vowed to bring the killers of Dr Imran Farooq to justice and said all the accused were put in detention under ATA, clarifying that no action will be taken under pressure.
On June 18, the Frontier Corps arrested two suspects reportedly involved in MQM leader Imran Farooq’s murder from the Pakistan, Afghanistan border town of Chaman.
“The men identified as Khalid Shamim and Mohsin Ali were arrested on a tip-off,” a FC spokesperson said, adding that the men belong to a political party based in Karachi.