RAWALPINDI: A 12-member British Metropolitan Police team, investigating the 2016 speech by Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Altaf Hussain, interviewed a batch of Sindh police officials at the Federal Investigation Authority’s (FIA) counterterrorism wing in Islamabad on Thursday.

According to sources, the team from the police’s Counter Terrorism Command (SO15) — which included a female officer — has been investigating the Sindh police officials in batches and probing them thoroughly to obtain evidence.

The British officers arrived in the federal capital on Sunday.

The six police officers/officials of Sindh police, who are considered important witnesses, have been in Islamabad since Monday.

The witnesses called to appear before the British investigators include Abdul Ghaffar, a sub-inspector at the Senior Superintendent of Police’s (SSP) East Kara­chi office, Inspector Ham­e­ed Khan from the SSP In­­vestigation Office South-I Karachi, Deputy Super­in­tendent of Police (DSP) Sad­dar Kanwar Asif, Saddar Station House Officer Inspector Peer Shabbir Haider, Saddar police Constable Rao Rashid and PS Artillery Maidan Constable Qamar Zaman.

Sources said the Met has been investigating the Aug 22, 2016, speech by Mr Hussain that led to a crowd dispersing and attacking media outlets in the vicinity. This resulted in further violence, including assaults of police officers and the burning of vehicles allegedly encouraged by Mr Hussain’s comments.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2019