Three men have been jailed for life in Pakistan for murdering Dr Imran Farooq, an exiled Pakistani politician who was stabbed to death in Edgware, north London, in September 2010.
Mohsin Ali Syed, 35, Khalid Shamim and Moazzam Ali were all found guilty of the murder of Dr Farooq and conspiracy to murder after a trial in Islamabad.
Muhammad Kashif Khan Kamran, 40, was also convicted in absentia of the murder.
— Azam Khan (@azamshaam) June 18, 2020
In his ruling Judge Shahrukh Arjumand said it had been "proved that Altaf Hussain ordered the killing of Dr Imran Farooq" and he also named Muhammad Anwar, a senior member of MQM, and Iftikhar Hussain, as co-conspirators.
The trial heard, it was reported in Dawn newspaper, that Dr Farooq, 50, was killed because it was perceived that he posed a threat to Altaf Hussain’s leadership of MQM.
Judge Shahrukh Arjumand has sentenced three men to life in prison for the murder of Dr Imran Farooq (pictured) in London. He said: "It is expected from governments of Pakistan and UK that absconders will be traced, arrested and brought before court as soon as possible." pic.twitter.com/xqO4xGaWwQ
— Total Crime (@totalcrime) June 18, 2020
Altaf Hussain, 66, requested political asylum in Britain in the 1990s and was later granted British citizenship. He was charged by the British authorities with a terrorism offence last year in connection with an online speech he made to supporters in Pakistan in August 2016.
Judge Arjumand said the murder was committed “so that in future no one can raise voice against Altaf Hussain, the leader of MQM.”
Dr Farooq’s widow, Shumaila, issued a statement on Thursday, 18 June, in which she said she was pleased those responsible would spend the rest of their lives in prison in Pakistan.
She said: "The name of Dr Imran Farooq will live forever. He was a true patriot of Pakistan and a hero of the Muhajir Qaumi Movement (MQM). He was a devoted husband, father, son and brother and I am proud of being his widow. My husband struggled day and night for the destitute of society.”
The MQM, which is based in Karachi, traditionally draws its support from the Muhajir community - Urdu speakers who moved to what is now Pakistan from India when the British divided country and granted both nations independence.
But in recent years it has been riven by internal division and corruption.
British detectives identified Syed and Kamran as the killers and found they had flown back to Pakistan, via Sri Lanka, after assassinating Dr Farooq.
