Federal minister claims party founder ordered murder while drunk; the case still haunts MQM politics
Mustafa Kamal says Indian spy agency has been spending money to destroy Karachi for the last 22 years. PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI:
Senior Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leader and federal minister Mustafa Kamal on Sunday accused the party’s founder, Altaf Hussain, of orchestrating the assassination of senior MQM leader Dr. Imran Farooq.
Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Kamal claimed that Hussain ordered the killing while intoxicated. He said the killing was carried out on Hussain’s instructions.
Dr. Farooq was among the founding members of the MQM when it began as a student movement. He was widely regarded as the party’s ideological architect and played a key role in shaping its constitution, discipline and organizational structure.
He was murdered on 16 September 2010 in London. Police said he was attacked outside his home after returning from work. Two men attacked him with a brick and knives and killed him on the spot.
Dr. Farooq had moved to London in 1999 following a security force operation against the MQM over allegations of involvement in terrorist activities.
The killing attracted international attention and led to a lengthy investigation by Scotland Yard. While several MQM members were later convicted, allegations of involvement of senior party leadership have persisted.
At the press conference, Kamal described the MQM founder as “a theatrical man” who performs “object songs over corpses” and sees himself as a ruler.
Read: Dr. Imran Farooq’s widow hails verdict and hails ‘hero’ of MQM
He claimed that Hussain staged a dramatic display over 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 said an appeal for donations was also made alongside the killing.
Dr. Farooq’s wife, Shumaila Farooq, died in London on December 19 this year. She was reportedly suffering from throat cancer.
Kamal further alleged that the MQM founder was dependent on foreign funding, destroyed generations and continues to harm people. He urged Dr. Farooq’s children to not engage with him.
He said he had been in contact with Dr. Farooq’s widow and children, who were placed under Scotland Yard protection after the murder.
Trial and judgments
In 2020, an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad sentenced three Pakistani citizens for Dr. Imran Farooq’s murder.
Khalid Shamim, Mohsin Ali and Moazzam Ali, all MQM members, were sentenced to life imprisonment. Each was also fined Rs 1 million to be paid to Dr. Farooq’s family.
Read more: MQM founder Altaf Hussain hospitalized in London
British police shared evidence with Pakistani authorities after receiving assurances that the accused would not face the death penalty.
The court also ordered the seizure of property belonging to four other suspects who remain on the run.
Later investigations revealed that suspects identified as Syed and Kamran had links with MQM. Investigators said this reinforced the view that the killing was politically motivated.
Dr. Farooq’s death marked a turning point for the MQM. The party, which once dominated Karachi’s politics for decades, later splintered into several factions amid leadership disputes and internal divisions.
