Late MQM leader Imran Farooq. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD: A two-member team of the Scotland Yard has finished questioning the main accused in MQM leader Imran Farooq’s murder.
“The accused, Moazzam Ali Khan was questioned by the visiting team. The team also met the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and interior ministry officials to gather relevant information," said a senior interior ministry official.
Read: Imran Farooq murder: Scotland Yard seeks access to suspects in Pakistan
The team arrived in Pakistan’s capital on June 29 to quiz Khan who was arrested by law enforcement agencies in Karachi this year for being the key suspect in Imran Farooq’s murder case.
While the interior ministry's spokesperson remained tight lipped about the 'sensitive case, four senior FIA and interior ministry officials claimed that the government of Pakistan did not allow the visiting team to question Kashif Khan, another accused in the murder case.
“The British authorities requested Pakistan to give access to the team to quiz Kashif Khan,” interior ministry officials stated.
“We’ve yet to decide whether to allow the authorities to question Kashif or not—he [Kashif] is involved in 13 cases of target killings,” a BPS-21 officer of the interior ministry told The Express Tribune.
An option of handing all three of the accused to Scotland Yard was also discussed by Pakistani and British officials last week, the officer added, while calling it a rather “complicated process.”
A joint investigation team headed by FIA director Inam Ghani also submitted its preliminary report on Imran Farooq’s murder case to the interior ministry this week, he revealed. This team also met Scotland Yard Team and shared findings with it, he added.
Read: British investigators begin work in Imran Farooq murder case
Further, the Metropolitan Police believes that their investigation could not be concluded without including statement of Kashif, there is strong possibility that the team would stay on, an FIA official revealed.
“It seems to be a reciprocal job — the London Police is also sharing information about MQM top leadership with us,” he claimed. The government formed a JIT after revelations by the BBC that the MQM was being funded by the Indian intelligence agencies.
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