London police commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe has confirmed the arrests of two alleged killers of Dr Imran Farooq, co-founder of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), at Karachi airport a few days ago.
The suspects are said to be affiliated with a political party whose name has not been disclosed yet. The police commissioner said the British authorities were working with Pakistan on Farooq’s murder case, and that the killers would not be allowed to roam freely on the streets of London.
Officials have not yet disclosed the arrested men’s identities, but said the president, the prime minister and the security establishment had been informed about the developments.
ZIP IN ZIP OUT: Sources said the arrested men had travelled to the United Kingdom on a student visa, stabbed Dr Farooq to death and then flown to Sri Lanka. The accused had flown to London in August, 2010 and the murder took place on September 16.
They were apprehended at the Karachi airport soon after their flight from Colombo landed. Officials said a tip off from the British intelligence agencies and some other sources facilitated the arrests. A premier intelligence agency of Pakistan made the arrests with the help of photographs and videos provided by the British authorities.
London Metropolitan Police and Scotland Yard had launched an investigation after the murder and arrested a suspect who was released later for a lack of evidence.
Farooq had co-founded the All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organisation, the parent organisation of the MQM, with Altaf Hussain. He was the deputy convener of the party, and hierarchically next to the MQM chief. However he quit the party in 2009 after developing differences with Altaf over organisational matters.
The arrest of the suspected killers is being considered a major breakthrough in the case. Farooq was killed on September 16, 2010 outside his residence in London.
London police chief confirms arrest of Dr Farooq’s killers
