IHC hears appeal of convicts in Imran Farooq murder case

ISLAMABAD: Special Public Prosecutor presented his arguments in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday over appeals of three convicts in the Imran Farooq murder case, ARY News reported.

A bench of the high court headed by Chief Justice Athar Minallah, also comprised of Justice Aamir Farooq heard the case.

The lawyers of convicts by Khalid Shamim, Moazzam Ali and Mohsin Ali had concluded their arguments in previous hearing of the case.

Three convicts have challenged an anti-terrorism court’s June 18, 2020 verdict that had sentenced them to life imprisonment.

Special Public Prosecutor Khawaja Imtiaz appeared on behalf of the federal government and present his contentions in the court today.

“The founder of the MQM have key role in the murder of Imran Farooq,” public prosecutor said. “Khalid Shamim and Muhammad Anwar had got instruction from the MQM founder for Imran Farooq’s murder,” prosecutor argued.

“Khalid Shamim and Moazzam Ali are Pakistani citizens. Baqar Mehdi had arranged air tickets for them,” Khawaja Imtiaz said. “Khalid Shamim confessed his crime and repented over the murder,” prosecuter said.

Special public prosecutor red confessional statement of Shamim in the court.

“The MQM provided me government job over the performance,” Khalid Shamim said. “Kashif arranged my meeting with Mohsin Ali at Nine Zero,” Shamim said in his confession.

Khawaja Imtiaz will conclude his arguments in the next hearing of the case.

The court adjourned further hearing of the case till Oct. 26.

On June 18, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Islamabad had sentenced the appellants to life sentence in the high-profile murder case of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Dr Imran Farooq. They were also imposed a fine of Rs1.2 million each.

ATC judge Shahrukh Arjumand had noted that the assassination of Dr Imran Farooq was the result of a conspiracy hatched in the United Kingdom (UK) and Pakistan by Altaf Hussain, the head of the MQM. Muhammad Anwar and Iftikhar Hussain, senior members of the MQM, were also involved in the murder plot, it said.

As per the plot, Khalid Shamim and Moazzam Ali facilitated and sent Muhammad Kashif and Syed Mohsin Ali to the UK for murdering Dr Imran Farooq who was killed in Green Lane, Edgeware area of London on September 16, 2010.