LONDON: An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad has published an advertisement in the UK-based publication, The Guardian, declaring Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain as a proclaimed offender in the Imran Farooq murder case, besides directing him to appear before the court in 30 days.
Dr Imran Farooq, an MQM leader, was assassinated in London in September 2010.
According to a local media outlet the notice has been published by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Altaf Hussain faces hundreds of cases in Pakistan, but this is the first time an English daily was used by the authorities concerned in their attempts to bring Altaf Hussain to the dock.
The Guardian notice seeks the MQM founder to appear before the ATC under section 87 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) of Pakistan. It’s understood that the same notice will be delivered to the mentioned address of the MQM founder and in case of non-appearance, further action will be taken.
The same court had earlier issued non-bailable arrest warrants for the MQM founder during a hearing of Imran Farooq murder case in Adiala Jail. ATC judge Shahrukh Arjumand, who heard the case, had ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to arrest and present the party supremo before the court, delaying the indictment of the arrested suspects — Syed Mohsin Ali, Moazzam Ali and Khalid Shamim — who are being held in Adiala Jail in connection with the planning and murder of Dr Farooq.
The notice published in The Guardian carries the name of same judge “Shahrukh Arjumand” of “special anti-terrorism court No1, Islamabad.”
The proclamation notice said the accused, a “resident of 90, Azizabad Karachi, presently resident of 54-58 first floor Elizabeth House, High Street, Edgware, Middlesex, HA8 7EJ, United Kingdom, has committed (or is suspected to have committed) the offences in case no FIR No. 01/2015 dated 05/12/2015 under Section 302/120B/34/109 PPC, 7 ATA Police Station Counter Terrorism Wing, FIA Islamabad,” and has absconded or is concealing himself to avoid arrest.
It further added that the accused is “required to appear in this court to answer the said complaint within 30 days from the date of publication”.
The FIA had lodged a case against the MQM founder and other senior party leaders in 2015 for their alleged involvement in Farooq’s murder.