Insufficient contribution on our part
The money laundering case against Altaf Hussain has been closed by the British police for lack of actionable evidence. Reacting to the decision Sarfraz Merchant has complained that there was no help from Pakistan’s Interior Ministry during the pursuit of the case. The episode exposes the claims made by Ch Nisar regarding a parallel investigation ordered by him in Pakistan .
In March Ch Nisar had maintained that an FIA team and a joint FIA-cum-NAB team were investigating the money laundering case. He had also appealed to Mustafa Kamal and the public to share whatever evidence they possessed with the two teams. For six months after this there was no word about the probe. In case the two teams handed over any evidence to the British police, it must have been found to be of no value.
Meanwhile the enquiry into the 2010 murder of Dr Imran Farooq is still ongoing in Britain. The British police have asked for the extradition of Mohsin Ali Syed, currently facing trial in Pakistan but the Interior Ministry has said it will either hand over all three suspects who have been detained in Pakistan in connection with the murder case or none at all. Months back Ch Nisar had expressed unhappiness over the way the murder case was being conducted in Britain and vowed that if Altaf Hussain was not convicted in London, he will be in Pakistan. The way the parallel murder case registered in Pakistan is proceeding indicates that while Ch Nisar can make tall claims his ability to perform is limited.
On December 5, the FIA had registered a case against Altaf Hussain and others allegedly involved in the murder of Dr Imran Farooq. For full six months no prosecutor was appointed to pursue the case. The appointment was made early this month only after the anti-terrorism court hearing the case questioned the seriousness of the agencies and announced that it would summon DG FIA in case the prosecutor was not appointed by the next hearing.