Islamabad (Web Desk): An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad on Thursday sentenced three key suspects to life imprisonment in Imran Farooq murder case.
Dr Imran Farooq, a founder member of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), was brutally murdered in London in September 2010.
ATC Judge Shahrukh Arjumand announced the judgment whereas the accused appeared before the court through a video link to attend the hearing.
The accused, Khalid Shamim, Mohsin Ali and Mauzzam Ali have been in Adiala jail ever since they were arrested.
During the hearing, the judge remarked that the prosecution had succeeded in proving the case against the three accused.
The court also issued arrest warrants for those accused absconding in the case, including MQM founder Altaf Hussain, Iftikhar Hussain, Mohammad Anwar and Kashif Kamran.
In its judgment the court also ordered the accused to pay Rs 1 million each to the heirs of the murdered MQM leader.
On May 21, the ATC had reserved the judgment after the completion of the trial.
In February, a team of Scotland Yard officers had also arrived in Islamabad for a week to facilitate the trial taking place in both London and Pakistan after the UK and Pakistan decided to cooperate and the UK sent the entire murder case file to Pakistan for the trial.
Last year, Pakistan’s lawyer in the UK for the murder case, Toby Cadman, said Britain handed “compelling evidence” to Islamabad.
Shumaila Farooq, the wife of Imran Farooq, was also interviewed from London.
In 2015, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had registered a case against Altaf Hussain for allegedly ordering the murder while nominating three other accused – Khalid Shamim, Mohsin Ali and Moazzam Ali.