Three arrested over Imran Farooq’s murder

ISLAMABAD – The murder case of MQM convener Dr Imran Farooq is nearing its conclusion as the secret agencies nabbed three suspects in Pakistan some days back, while the British police conducted raids in London on Thursday.

Khalid Shamim, who also belongs to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) is said to be the mastermind of Dr Imran’s murder, and two other youth were reportedly arrested form Karachi a few days back. And presumably, taking action on the leads from the arrested suspects in Pakistan, the Scotland Yard Thursday conducted raids in London. Some 35 police officials participated in the operation wherein they seized documents and other items from a house and an office. However, no arrests were made in the raids as both the places had already been abandoned.

Sources revealed that Khalid Shamim was given the task of killing Dr Imran Farooq in London. He sought the help of a man named Hammad Siddiqi, who provided him two boys both of whom belonged to All Pakistan Muttahida Students Organisation. Khalid Shamim arranged student visas for both these boys. The two youth met an unidentified man in London who briefed them about the routine of Dr Imran, and they killed him near his house on September 16, 2010.

After the murder, both the killers left for Colombo instead of coming to Pakistan. After reaching there, they contacted the mastermind Khalid Shamim, who advised them to reach Pakistan. A secret agency recorded all the conversation between Shamim and the killers and kept the former under strict watch. Shamim had also planned to murder both these boys as soon as they would reach Karachi.

The agencies arrested both the young killers when they reached Karachi from Colombo and shifted them to Rawalpindi whereas contacts were also made with the MQM for handing over Khalid Shamim.

Meanwhile, President Zardari and Altaf Hussain also talked about this issue wherein the latter expressed his displeasure over the issue. A high profile official of the agencies contacted Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad for the arrest of Shamim after which the latter was arrested.

The killers were made to hear all the recording of their conversation wherein they had planned to murder Dr Imran Farooq. After hearing their own conversation, the accused themselves told the whole story to the agencies. Though Shamim presented all facts in different contexts, statements of all the three accused proved similar at the end.