–ATC sentences three accused to life imprisonment, Rs2m fine in MQM’s leader’s murder case
–Orders Pakistani and UK govts to arrest four absconding accused, including Altaf Hussain
ISLAMABAD: While handing life imprisonment and imposing a fine of Rs2 million on three accused in connection with the murder of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Dr Imran Farooq, an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday ruled that party founder Altaf Hussain had ordered the assassination.
According to ATC Judge Shahrukh Arjumand, it had been “proved that Altaf Hussain ordered the killing of Dr Imran Farooq” in 2010 in London.
“The prosecution has successfully proved the case against all three of you,” said the judge as the accused – Khalid Shamim, Mohsin Ali and Moazzam Ali – were produced before the judge via video link. The three had confessed to assassinating the politician because he was a “potent threat to the leadership of the MQM”, essentially Hussain.
In its judgement, the court also directed the Pakistan and British governments to arrest the four absconding accused in the case — Altaf Hussain, Iftikhar Hussain, Mohammad Anwar and Kashif Kamran.
The court ruled that two senior party leaders based in London “conveyed Hussain’s orders to the relevant people in Pakistan”. The court said it had found that accused Moazzam Ali, another senior member working at Nine Zero [the headquarters of MQM in Karachi] and accused Khalid Shamim engaged accused Syed Mohsin Ali and Kashif Khan Kamran to execute Farooq.
“The two executors were properly facilitated who went with the sole purpose to London for committing the murder and as per pre-planned conspiracy, an innocent person was brutally murdered.
“The act of abettors and executors was preconceived with a design to intimidate and overawe the public in general and workers of MQM in particular so that in future no one can raise voice against Altaf Hussain, the leader of MQM,” the judgement observed.
“The motive thus for murdering Imran Farooq upon the orders of Altaf Hussain and other senior [MQM] leadership is proved because of his [Imran Farooq’s] strong position and services in the party.”
The ATC concluded the trial proceedings in the case on May 21 and had announced to declare its verdict on June 18 (today).
During the last hearing, special prosecutor Khawaja Mohammad Imtiaz, while concluding his arguments, informed the court that Pakistan has assured the British government that the accused would not be given the death sentence even if he is found guilty of murder.
The British government was reluctant to share evidence with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as the European laws discourage the death sentence.
However, upon Pakistan’s assurance that the suspects would not be sent to the gallows, Britain shared key evidence with the agency. Among the evidence Pakistan received from the UK Central Authority for the Exchange of Criminal Records (UKCA-ECR) are the CCTV footage of the murder incident, forensic and post-mortem reports, recovery memo, statements of the investigation officer and 23 witnesses.
Farooq’s widow, Shumaila Syeda Nazar, was also among the British witnesses. In her statement recorded before the ATC judge, she said that her husband went to the market to buy bread but never returned. When she tried to locate him, she found police standing near her home. Her neighbor informed her that two youngsters shook hands with Farooq and then one of them attacked him with a knife while the other hit his head with a brick.
The trial of the murder suspects had been a standstill since last year as the prosecution case was stuck up because of the non-availability of evidence.
In 2018, the IHC had directed the ATC to conclude the much-delayed trial by October 2018. However, the prosecution of the FIA repeatedly requested the court for an extension of the deadline since the British government was reluctant to share evidence related to the murder fearing that the accused might get the death sentence if convicted.
