Pakistan seeks extradition of Altaf, Anwar, Iftikhar

LONDON: The Pakistan government has asked the British government to extradite the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader and founderAltaf Hussain, Muhammad Anwar and Iftikhar Hussain to face charges in reference to Doctor Imran Farooq murder case.

The formal request to the UK - details of which have been shared by the trusted sources with this reporter – comes nearly two months after an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad handed life imprisonment to three accused Khalid Shamim, Mohsin Ali Syed and Moazzam Ali in the Imran Farooq murder case.

The ATC Judge Shahrukh Arjumand remarked that the prosecution has succeeded in proving the case against the three. This was the first case ever in which almost the entire evidence for prosecution was handed over to Pakistan by the Scotland Yard through a one-off Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) formula and members of Scotland Yard’s counter-terror unit remained in Pakistan throughout the trial. Over a dozen witnesses had appeared before the trial judge via video link from London.

Pakistan has now asked the British government to hand over Altaf, Anwar and Altaf’s cousin Iftikhar Hussain for prosecution in Pakistan in the same case. While handing life sentence to the three accused, the court had declared the London-based MQM leaders as “wanted” in the case.

The source shared that Pakistan has asked the British government that the three accused in Pakistan were successfully convicted on the basis of evidence shared by the British authorities and the same evidence established that there was a wide “criminal conspiracy” which involved Altaf, Anwar and Iftikhar.

The source said the UK government has been informed that its own investigators made the convictions possible and both countries collaborated with each other to make it happen. While asking for the extradition of trio from London, Pakistan has also asked the UK government to investigate the three based on the ATC judgment.

In its letter to the UK government, Pakistan has said that Doctor Imran Farooq’s murder was not a simple murder but a well-planned conspiracy involving meticulous planning and funding. The source shared that Pakistan will be “attaching” properties of Altaf, Anwar and Iftikhar in Pakistan.

The ATC had issued perpetual arrest warrants for the MQM founder Altaf Hussain, Iftikhar Hussain, Muhammad Anwar and Muhammad Kashif Khan Kamran who is believed to have already died in the police custody. The court in its detailed order stated that it had been proved that the "MQM founder gave the orders" to murder Farooq.

“Two senior leaders of the MQM-London conveyed the orders to Pakistan,” said the court in its 39-page order. It added that Moazzam Ali selected the boys to carry out the murder from the then MQM headquarters, Nine-Zero.

“Mohsin Ali and Kashif Khan Kamran were selected for murdering Imran Farooq,” said the order, adding that both were taken to London and were provided support to carry out the crime.

Doctor Imran Farooq was killed 10 years ago on September 16 outside his home in Edgware. The court observed that Dr Imran Farooq’s notes, written and signed by him in 2008, showed that he feared he would be killed on the pretext of trying to become number one in the MQM.

In a recent interview with this correspondent, Muhammad Anwar strongly denied allegations of murder and said there is no evidence against him. He said he has no knowledge of the murder and didn’t know anything about the plotters and abettors.