Have The Pakistani Authorities Got The Answer?

Once again Dr. Imran Farooq case is in the headlines of the Pakistani media. The especial coverage that the electronic and print media is giving to this case has created so much hype in the country. The analysis of the on-going trials and the post-conviction scenario predicted by the media-men, have also added to it.

One of the reasons of why Pakistani media is giving so importance to this case is the recent development in the case according to which two of the already arrested accused have confessed before the court that they killed Dr. Imran Farooq in London as per the order of MQM`s top leadership.

Of course, a criminal should be brought to justice and punished for his wrongdoings according to the prevailing laws of the state. But, we cannot ignore the fact, which has crucial impact on the murder investigation, that the deceased (Dr. Imran Farooq) was a British national as he had sought political asylum following the life threats from the Pakistani agencies in the late 90`s. His head money announced by the Pakistani authorities, endorsed his claim. Secondly, his murder took place in the state which is beyond the jurisdiction of Pakistan. Then, how can Pakistan initiate and conclude the murder investigation and even judicially try any allegedly accused in this case?

The only plea that the Pakistani authorities have taken is that the planning of the crime was done in Pakistan which gives them, as pert their claim, a legal right to register and probe the case here. However, in their confessions, as reported by the media, Mohsin and Khalid Shahim (the accused) told the Magistrate that the planning was carried out in a British university. Now, question is, is there any justification left for probing and trying anyone allegedly accused in the Dr. Farooq case in Pakistan? (Note: First it was reported that the accused confessed that the planning of the murder was done in a university of UK http://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1031704. But, just after 24 hours, it was reported again that they had told that the planning was done at MQM`s headquarter “90” http://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1031776. This contradiction has made the confession more dubious)

It is also interesting to know that two of the main accused in the case (i.e, Altaf Hussian and Iftekhar Hussain) are British passport holders as they had sought political asylum due to the life threats in Pakistan. Regarding Muhammad Anwar, he, despite his clarification with concrete proofs, is still branded in Pakistan as an Indian national. Taking into account all these facts, do the Pakistani agencies deserve to conduct the investigation of the crime which has obviously nothing to do with Pakistan?   

Logically, if the Pakistani agencies have any sort of information and evidence (or any suspects in their custody, as they are claiming) which can help the Scotland Yard conclude the on-going investigation, then they should hand over the same to it. Keeping such a thing in Pakistan will only create obstacles in the way of bringing the real killer (s) to justice.

Some anchorpersons and analysts are claiming that soon Pakistan would ask the British government for extradition of Altaf Hussain, Muhammad Anwar and Iftekhar Hussain as named in the Imran Farooq case. But, logically, if the SLY too considers the said persons as even merely suspects in the case, why would it let them go out of UK without concluding their long-going investigation? Thus, it does not seem possible to taken the MQM`s leaders into custody and try them in Pakistan. Consequently, what is remaining in the hands of Pakistani agencies is just to try the alleged killers Mohsin, Khalid Shamim and Moazzam Ali. And that is exactly what Pakistan is doing with them.

However, Pakistani media-men seem to be considering the Dr. Imran Farooq murder case as a fair and free trial and, as a result, are raising different questions about the future of MQM`s politics. The most common question that they put to MQM is, “If the accused (including MQM`s chief and Muhammad Anwar) get convicted by the Pakistani courts, to what extent would MQM `s politics get affected?”

Regardless of how MQM responds to this, would all these anchorpersons and analysts like to ask the Pakistani authorities (including the FIA, ISI and judiciary), “Would they take the responsibility of the possibly forthcoming conviction and the execution of three innocent human lives if the Scotland Yard later on concludes its investigation and declares that someone else was involved in the murder?” Will they also like to answer as to what extent the credibility of state of Pakistan would get affected by the biased conviction and illegal punishment of innocent persons? 

Therefore, military as well as political establishments of Pakistan need to get the answer to this question well before they bring the murder investigation come to its “logical” end because the Imran Farooq murder investigation (unlike the Shahid Hamid murder case) is already being carried out by a foreign agency. So, it would not be so easy to execute and bury Kashif, Mohsin and Moazzim like Saulat Mirza.