ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday questioned the registration of a case pertaining to the murder of Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Dr Imran Farooq, who was assassinated in London in September 2010.

An IHC division bench comprising Justices Noorul Haq N. Qureshi and Athar Minallah also observed that prima facie it was a political case. The bench was hearing the bail application of Moazzam Ali, one of the three held suspects in the murder case.

At one point, the bench observed that the federal government had to answer about the purpose of this case in Pakistan. The murder took place in London, then why the Pakistan government had registered an FIR here, asked one of the bench members.

Special Prosecutor Khawaja Imtiaz submitted before the judges that a Scotland Yard team was currently in Pakistan and shared pieces of information and evidence with the joint investigation team probing the murder case here. The bench asked the prosecutor whether the Pakistani investigators recorded the statement of any eyewitness in the UK.

However, the prosecutor submitted that it would take four to five days to complete the ongoing process and requested the court to grant him some time to answer the queries. The court adjourned the hearing till next week. In his bail application, suspect Moazzam Ali submitted that he had link with the murder of Dr Farooq.

The applicant submitted that the murder took place in London, he was arrested in Karachi and the case was registered in Islamabad. He contended that the Pakistani authorities claimed that he was an alleged facilitator despite the fact that there had been no evidence against him.

He asked the court to grant him bail.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2016