RAWALPINDI: The federal government has decided to contact the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), asking it to issue a red warrant against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain in connection with the murder of senior party leader Imran Farooq, in a bid to bring the United Kingdom-based leader back to Pakistan.

Sources said on Monday that the Federal Investigation Agency had been directed to write an application to the Interpol headquarters in Lyon (France) for issuance of the red warrant against Mr Hussain.

An official of the FIA said that the agency would soon start the process for submitting the application to Interpol. However, he added, the process might take some time.

The FIA official said that it would be up to Interpol officials to decide whether or not a red warrant against the MQM founder could be issued.

According to him, in such cases Interpol usually examines if they are politically and religiously motivated or related to military. He said the FIA made a similar request about Mr Hussain to Interpol in June 2017, but that was rejected by it.

The sources said the FIA would submit the challan in the Imran Farooq murder case which was being investigated by a joint investigation team along with the application to be submitted to Interpol.

MQM senior leader Imran Farooq, who had developed differences with Mr Hussain, was killed outside his house in London in September 2010.

The FIA registered a case against Mr Hussain and other MQM leaders in connection with the Imran Farooq murder case in 2015 and launched an investigation.

Mr Farooq had lived in London in self-imposed exile from 1999 till his murder in 2010. Three suspects have been arrested by police in connection with the Imran Farooq murder and they have been charged with the murder, abetment and hatching a conspiracy to kill. They are being tried in an anti-terrorism court.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2018