Altaf Hussain ordered Imran Farooq's murder, rules court.

ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad on Thursday ruled that MQM founder Altaf Hussain had ordered the killing of party's senior leader Dr Imran Farooq, and handed life imprisonment to three accused in the murder case.

The judgment was read by ATC Judge Shahrukh Arjumand as the accused appeared before the court through a video link to attend the hearing. "The prosecution has succeeded in proving the case against all three of you," remarked the judge during the hearing.

The accused, Khalid Shamim, Mohsin Ali Syed and Moazzam Ali had been in Adiala jail ever since they were arrested. Their sentences will run concurrently and their time already spent in jail will count towards their sentence, according to the detailed verdict issued. The court also ordered the sentenced individuals to pay Rs 1 million each to the heirs of the murdered MQM leader. It also issued perpetual arrest warrants for MQM founder Altaf Hussain, Iftikhar Hussain, Muhammad Anwar and Kashif Khan Kamran.

"In the instant case, the chain of evidence connects each and every accused who has performed a distinctive role for completing the task," the verdict read. The court ruled that Altaf ordered the killing of Dr Farooq and two of his other senior party members in London communicated his orders to relevant people in Pakistan. Moazzam Ali, another senior party member working at Nine Zero, the headquarters of the MQM, along with Khalid Shamim, engaged Mohsin Ali and Kashif Khan Kamran to carry out the assassination. "The two executors were properly facilitated who went with a sole purpose to London for committing the murder and as per pre-planned conspiracy, an innocent person was brutally murdered," the judgment read. It further stated that the act of the abettors and the executors was preconceived with a design to intimidate and overawe the public in general and workers of MQM in particular so that in future no one can raise voice against Altaf Hussain.

"The motive thus for murdering Imran Farooq upon the orders of Altaf Hussain and other senior [MQM] leadership is proved because of his [Imran Farooq's] strong position and services in the party," the verdict read. The court observed that Dr 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. "Existence of that threat also figures in the two confessional statements made by...