Dr Imran Farooq Murder case: Altaf shows Karachi Card to visiting Cameron

Altaf welcomes David Cameron with his Karachi Card

Dr Imran Farooq Murder case:

Saeed Minhas

Investigations by New Scotland Yard into the murder of MQM founder member Dr Imran Farooq seems to be giving cold feet to many not only in Britain but also in Pakistan as some of the associates of MQM Chief Altaf Hussain has put the name of former interior minister Rehman Malik for giving millions of dollars and UK currency to their party chief which somehow remained stashed under the floor and inside the walls of the party office when police raided the party’s offices and some houses back in 2010.

Sources further revealed that besides the recent 55 hour search of Altaf Hussain and another flat, which allegedly belong to Raza Haroon—another MQM stalwart who was raised under the shadows of his mentor and party chief Altaf Hussain in London—British Police had raided some other properties including some purported offices of MQM in 2010 as well. They believe that during those searches, British police had found bundles of cash stashed under the floor and in the walls. Upon investigations, British police was informed that the money was sent from time to time by party workers. One of the close associate of Altaf Hussain even disclosed to the police in the heat of moment that money was brought in by the visiting interior minister of that time Rehman Malik. The one who disclosed this was recently thrown out of the party’s coordination committee but only after receiving good thrashing from the party workers, revealed Pakistani officials.

Pakistani authorities working on this case believe that the 52 year British national of Pakistani origin arrested recently is believed to be the mastermind behind the murder of Dr Imran. British Police, however, has not yet framed any of these charges against him as of today. But Pakistan officials who are familiar with the case revealed to The Spokesman that British police was led to the arrest of this man by Pakistani authorities. “We gleaned this information from the two suspects arrested last year from Karachi and instead of handing them over to Britain asked the British police to investigate to nab the real culprits not the scapegoats from Pakistan,” they added.

Pakistani authorities have also asked the British Police to give proper protection to the widow of Dr Imran Farooq besides proposing them to give asylum to her entire family living still in Karachi. “If they are serious than they have to protect her and her family to get the real picture of the murder case, otherwise, she has effectively been silenced since murder of her husband,” disclosed the Pakistani investigators.

Meanwhile, Self-exiled chief of Mutehida Qaumi Movement, a British national of Pakistani origin, Altaf Hussain has once again turned to his power cluster in Karachi for thwarting another attempt on his fiefdom. This time his outcry was neither against a military operation nor against any Pakistani political opponent but was aimed to stun his protectors; Britain. To avoid another commotion and even thrashing, Altaf Hussain’s party leaders have already started calling the recent surge in investigations and raids on the house of Altaf Hussain a media trial. “They all know if they can face kicks and punches from party workers for merely not reacting in a timely fashion over Imran Khan’s statement against their party chief after the May elections than they better raise their voices now in time before it’s too late for them,” revealed a former MQM leader who calls himself lucky to be alive even after quitting the party.

Keeping calm over a raid by the British Police on his house situated at Edgware Road in central London for almost a week, Altaf Hussain chose the appropriate moment to register his reaction and show of power, observed many pundits here. British Prime Minister, David Cameron was in Pakistan and there could not have been a better opportunity than this to show him that any independent inquiry into Dr Imran Farooq’s case would force him to use Karachi Card even against British interests, revealed some diplomatic sources to this scribe.

Pakistani security officials who have long been dealing with the MQM factor inside Pakistan believe that recent moves of New Scotland Yard with regard to murder investigations of Dr Imran Farooq are fishy. Informed sources seeking anonymity revealed that Pakistan had arrested two suspects, whom British intelligence has been watching since the murder took place in September 2010. Pakistani authorities nabbed both the suspects upon their arrival in Karachi but after initial investigations found out that both of them were not involved in the murder conspiracy or act. Therefore, sources revealed that they had informed the British authorities that these two would not be handed over to them. Finding consistent calls from the British Police officials, Pakistan had to sight them that there was no extradition treaty under which two suspects could be handed over to Britain.

However, Pakistani officials privy to the developments believe that there was a time during these demands and refusals period when Pakistan had to tell some British officials in private that these two could not be handed over as scapegoats and instead British Police should look for the real culprit. “We had informed them about all the information gleaned from these two suspects who revealed that the real suspect is either in Canada or in South Africa,” confided a highly placed source involved with the investigations. They believe that the 52 year old British national of Pakistani origin arrested on June 24 by British Metropolitan police is considered the real man in this case. “Now we are looking forward that how Police in Britain would extract the information from him to get hold of all those involved in murder of Dr Imran Farooq,” he added with a visible question mark in his eyes.