Federal minister claims party founder ordered murder while drunk; the affair still haunts MQM politics
Mustafa Kamal claims Indian spy agency has been spending money to destroy Karachi for 22 years. PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI:
Senior Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leader and federal minister Mustafa Kamal on Sunday accused party founder Altaf Hussain of masterminding the murder of senior MQM leader Dr Imran Farooq.
Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Kamal claimed that Hussain ordered the killing while he was drunk. He said the murder was carried out on Hussain’s instructions.
Dr Farooq was one of the founding members of the MQM when it was a student movement. He was widely considered the ideological architect of the party and played a key role in shaping its constitution, discipline and organizational structure.
He was assassinated on September 16, 2010 in London. Police said he was attacked outside his home on his way home from work. Two men attacked him with bricks and knives, killing him instantly.
Dr Farooq had moved to London in 1999 after a security force operation against the MQM following allegations of involvement in terrorist activities.
The murder attracted international attention and led to a lengthy investigation by Scotland Yard. Although several MQM members were subsequently convicted, allegations regarding the involvement of senior party leaders persist.
At the press conference, Kamal described the MQM founder as “a man of theater” who performs “object songs on dead bodies” and considers himself a leader.
Read: Dr Imran Farooq’s widow hails verdict, pays tribute to MQM ‘hero’
He alleged Hussain staged a dramatic display of the body of Dr Farooq’s wife and sought donations worth millions of pounds to send the body to Pakistan.
Kamal claimed that Dr Farooq was killed as a “gift” on the MQM founder’s birthday. He added that a call for donations had also been launched alongside the murder.
Dr Farooq’s wife, Shumaila Farooq, died in London on December 19 this year. She reportedly suffered from throat cancer.
Kamal further alleged that the MQM founder was relying on foreign funding, destroying generations and continuing to harm people. He urged Dr Farooq’s children not to interact with him.
He said he had remained in contact with Dr Farooq’s widow and children, who were taken into the protection of Scotland Yard after the murder.
Trials and convictions
In 2020, an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad convicted three Pakistani nationals for the murder of Dr Imran Farooq.
Khalid Shamim, Mohsin Ali and Moazzam Ali, all members of the MQM, were sentenced to life in prison. Each was also fined one million rupees, payable to Dr Farooq’s family.
Learn more: MQM founder Altaf Hussain hospitalized in London
British police shared evidence with Pakistani authorities after receiving assurances that the accused would not be sentenced to death.
The court also ordered the seizure of property belonging to four other suspects who are still at large.
Subsequent investigations revealed that the suspects identified as Syed and Kamran had links with the MQM. Investigators said that reinforced the idea that the killing was politically motivated.
The death of Dr Farooq marked a turning point for the MQM. The party, which dominated Karachi politics for decades, later split into several factions amid leadership disputes and internal divisions.
