ATC grants one month for testimonies in Imran Farooq murder case

ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Monday granted one more month to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for recording statements of British witnesses in Imran Farooq murder case, ARY News reported.

The testimonies of the witnesses in the murder of senior leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in London were yet to be recorded. The FIA counsel pleaded to the court for one more month to record testimonies of the foreign witnesses.

The Judge while granting the time told the investigation agency’s lawyer that the court will not further extend the time for statements.

Three accused in the case were produced in the court today from Adiala Jail for the hearing.

Earlier, the FIA prosecution team in a letter to the British authorities had sought permission for testimonies of the witnesses in the murder in London.

“An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has approved a plea to record statements of more witnesses from United Kingdom (UK) through video link and directed for making arrangements at the Pakistani high commission in London,” the letter read.

The FIA has sent a list of the witnesses to British authorities and asked about their availability for recording testimonies in the case.

“The letter has been written to the UK Border Agency through the Foreign Office,” sources said.

It is pertinent to mention here that the intelligence agency had also requested the court in a previous hearing to include Imran Farooq’s wife among 32 British witnesses for the recording of statements. The witnesses also include British fingerprint experts, the director of London Academy of Management Sciences and forensic experts.

The ATC had approved the agency’s plea for recording more statements of UK witnesses through video link and had adjourned the hearing till January 13 (today).

Dr Imran Farooq was stabbed and bludgeoned to death near his apartment in London in September 2010.