ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday rejected the post-arrest bail application of Moazzam Ali, an under trial accused in the Dr Imran Farooq murder case.

In the verdict, a division bench consisting of Justice Noorul Haq N Qureshi and Justice Athar Minallah observed that the prosecution has brought sufficient material to the judicial record on the basis of which relief of bail could not be extended to the accused.

The bench was of the view that the suspect had been accused of providing monetary assistance to the key suspects in the case and the investigation agency had traced some links between the funding and the accused seeking post arrest bail.

The FIA’s special prosecutor, Khawaja Imtiaz told the court that the accused received Rs4 million before Dr Imran Farooq was assassinated.

The court had reserved verdict on June 1 after both the parties concluded their arguments on the bail application.

During the arguments, Mr Imtiaz had informed the court that two other suspects in the case – Khalid Shamim and Syed Mohsin Ali – had implicated Moazzam in the case during their confessional statements recorded before a magistrate.

The counsel added that the statements revealed how and where the suspects had gathered, how and from whom they got money, what was the purpose of the money and how did they commit the offence.

Imtiaz said that Moazzam allegedly opened bank accounts for the suspects and shown himself as “cousin and next to kin” in the bank documents whereas he had no blood relation with them.

Later on, the counsel said, Moazzam allegedly transferred money in their accounts at different occasions through which they obtained study visa and fulfilled requirements for getting admission in colleges.

The FIA informed the court that a senior member of the MQM, Mohammad Anwar, had transferred £25,000 in the account of a suspect, Khalid Shamim, on January 30, 2010.

The suspects, Syed Mohsin Ali and Kamran, travelled to UK on September 9, 2010 and Dr Farooq was stabbed and bludgeoned to death near his apartment in Green Lane, Edgware, on September 16, 2010.

Ali’s counsel, Mansoor Afridi, had moved post-arrest bail petition of Moazzam Ali after an anti-terrorism court (ATC) had dismissed his plea.

In his arguments, Afridi said the FIA did not have evidence against Ali and delay in registering the case after five years was not explained.

He said that “it is not a crime to support a student”.

He had maintained that the FIA was waiting to obtain evidence from the Scotland Yard but they did not have enough evidence to arrest people living in the UK.

Afridi had also argued that the interim charge sheet submitted before the ATC did not constitute any offence against Ali.

The FIA has cited 11 witnesses in the report, he said, and none of the witnesses had anything to disclose relating to the charges of conspiracy or abetment against Ali.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2016