ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC), Monday, took up appeals of three convicts in Imran Farooq murder case.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Babar Sattar heard the appeals filed by the three convicts including Khalid Shamim, Moazzam Ali and Mohsin Ali challenging an anti-terrorism court’s verdict dated June 18, 2020, that had sentenced them to life imprisonment.

The convicts – Khalid Shamim, Moazzam Ali, and Mohsin Ali – filed appeals through their counsel, and requested the high court to strike down the verdict and order their release.

They made the state and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as respondent in the appeals.

On June 18, 2020, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Islamabad had sentenced the appellants to life imprisonment in the high-profile murder case of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Dr Imran Farooq.

They were also imposed a fine of Rs1.2 million each.

During the hearing, Mohsin’s lawyer partially completed his arguments.

He said that a key eyewitness did not identify his client in the case.

At this, the IHC chief justice asked that if a sketch issued by the London police did not match with Mohsin Ali.

He called for a photo of Mohsin Ali to be presented to the court, and adjourned the hearing till Tuesday (today).

In his appeal, Mohsin informed that the ATC judge had convicted him despite the fact that evidence with the prosecution was insufficient to connect him with the crime.

He contended that he had been implicated in the case because of some banking transactions. He added that being a businessman, he had done several banking transactions with different individuals and entities.

The appellant maintained that it was an admitted fact that he was not present at the crime scene at the time of the murder of Dr Farooq.

The Counter-Terrorism Wing (CTW) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered a first information report (FIR) alleging that the assassination of Dr Farooq was the result of a conspiracy hatched in the United Kingdom and Pakistan by Altaf Hussain, founder of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Muhammad Anwar, senior member of the MQM, and Iftikhar Hussain.

As a result of the conspiracy, Khalid Shamim and Moazzam Ali facilitated and sent Muhammad Kashif Khan Kamran, along with Syed Mohsin Ali, to the United Kingdom to kill Dr Imran Farooq.

Dr Farooq was killed in Green Lane, Edgeware area of London, on September 16, 2010.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021