LONDON: A former leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Muhammad Anwar, has confirmed that the political party had received funding from the Indian government.
Muhammad Anwar made further revelations regarding the political party, said that a party leader had organised a meeting with him with an Indian diplomat at the beginning of the 90s era. He claimed that it was not his decision to meet Indian officials and he was instructed to coordinate the political party for contacts with the Indian government.
He further said that blaming him for having contacts with India was completely wrong as he always tried to serve Pakistan. He offered the Pakistani government for cooperation to brought forward more facts.
The former leader of Altaf Hussain-led MQM said that he has no role in the murder of Imran Farooq and police had found no evidence for his involvement in the case. He asked the British and Pakistani institutions to take action if any evidence was found against him.
The politician also admitted that MQM had involved in spread fear and panic in the port city, Karachi, and those involved in the mass killing in the metropolis were now presenting themselves as ‘honourable’ personalities. Anwar added that he should not be blamed for the wrongdoings of the MQM’s leaders.
The statement of Muhammad Anwar came forth after the June 18’s judgement of an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad that handed life imprisonment to three men over their involvement in the murder case of MQM leader Dr Imran Farooq.
ATC Judge Shahrukh Arjumand had announced the verdict that was reserved on May 21.
The court handed life sentence to Moazzam Ali, Mohsin Ali and Khalid Shamim and directed them to pay a fine of Rs1 million each to the legal heirs of the slain MQM leader. The convicts who are incarcerated in Adiala Jail heard the verdict through video link.
They were handed the sentence on charges of plotting the murder and aiding and abetting the crime.
ISLAMABAD: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Islamabad has sentenced three accused to life imprisonment in the decade-old murder case of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Dr Imran Farooq.
The three accused found guilty in the case included Syed Mohsin Ali, Moazzam Ali, and Khalid Shamim. They were also imposed a fine of Rs1.2 million each.
The verdict announced by ATC judge Shahrukh Arjumand noted that the assassination of Dr Imran Farooq was the result of a conspiracy hatched in the United Kingdom (UK) and Pakistan by Altaf Hussain, the head of the MQM. Muhammad Anwar and Iftikhar Hussain, senior member of the MQM, were also involved in the murder plot, it said.
As per the plot, Khalid Shamim and Moazzam Ali facilitated and sent Muhammad Kashif and Syed Mohsin Ali to the UK for murdering Dr Farooq who was killed in Green Lane, Edgeware area of London on September 16, 2010.
The murder case was instituted in 2016 and two years later, Altaf Hussain was declared a fugitive. He was eventually declared proclaimed offender over no-show by the court that issued his arrest warrants after the publication of his summons in two foreign English newspapers.
The court also issued directives for blocking Altaf Hussain’s passport and cancellation of his CNIC.
Detective Chief Inspector of the London Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Staurt Greenaway who was probing the murder case came to Pakistan and recorded his statement before the ATC. 15 other UK-based witnesses also recorded their statements via video link.
A prosecutor representing the Government of Pakistan stated before the court that Mohsin Ali and Kashif were sent to the UK to silence the voice of Dr Farooq who was emerging as a potential threat to Altaf Hussain.
Moazzam Ali and Khalid Shamim facilitated Mohsin Ali and Kashif in getting admission to an educational institution of London and then their subsequent travel. Mohsin and Kashif after assassinating Dr Farooq flew to Sri Lanka where their facilitator Khalid Shamim was already waiting for them.
The verdict noted that the case was of historical significance since documentary evidence and articles collected by London police were produced during the trial after an agreement of Mutual Legal Assistance was reached between the two countries.
An ordinance was promulgated to amend Pakistan Penal Code 1860 whereby, in cases where evidence is shared by a foreign country death penalty cannot be given.
The ordinance was, in fact, an assurance extended to the UK government by the Government of Pakistan that the accused will not be awarded death penalty when found guilty.
The verdict said that the case in hand is a fit one for awarding death penalty, however, as an ordinance has been promulgated to amend Pakistan Penal Code 1860 whereby, in the cases where evidence is shared by a foreign country death penalty cannot be given.
Mohsin Ali’s lawyer denied the charges saying his client had gone to London to acquire higher education and that he has nothing to do with the crime. He claimed that the slain MQM leader had a criminal background and therefore, had many foes as Mohsin was implicated in the case to distract attention from them, he added.
Khalid Shamim in his confessional statement said he was a long-time supporter of the MQM. He stated that Dr Farooq’s party membership was suspended because he wanted to become a top leader of the party after Altaf Hussain.
He said: “One day, MQM chief Altaf Hussain in his telephonic address said that no one cares about him as someday someone would kill him near park when he will be returning home and it would be billed as robbery.”
Khalid Shamim said he telephoned Muhammad Anwar after listening to Altaf Hussain’s address, adding that Anwar told him that there were clues and instructions for him in the address.
These instructions were clear that Dr Farooq was creating his own faction within the party and it is necessary to stop him. Afterward, a meeting took place at Nine Zero, the then headquarters of MQM, for the purpose and the two men were sent to London and were given 25,000 pounds each for the task.
The court ruled that confessions of the accused persons established the fact that Dr Farooq feared for his safety and had identified the top leadership of the MQM that were likely to exterminate him.
Stephen Hawking’s family has donated his ventilator to a hospital to help cope with the influx of coronavirus patients, ARY News reported.
The family of the late University of Cambridge theoretical physicist have donated their father’s ventilator to Royal Papworth Hospital as it cares for increasing numbers of patients with Covid-19.
With increasing numbers of patients being hospitalised with the virus, which can cause severe respiratory problems, the hospital has expanded its critical care department to more than double its usual size.
Mr Hawking’s daughter Lucy said: “Our father received brilliant, dedicated and compassionate medical care from both Royal Papworth and Addenbrooke’s hospitals in Cambridge.
LONDON: British government has announced the commencement of chartered flights from April 21 to repatriate citizens from Pakistan, ARY News reported on Friday.
The special flights will be operated from Islamabad and Lahore to London and Manchester to bring back 2,500 British citizens, whereas, each passenger will be charged 527 British pounds.
The United Kingdom (UK) government asked citizens staying in Pakistan to book their tickets from the official website. British MP Lord Tariq Ahmad thanked British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner for his efforts to make arrangements for the special flights.
Earlier on April 15, British High Commissioner Christian Turner had announced that the UK government will commence a series of chartered flights from the next week to bring around 7,500 citizens back home.
Before the suspension of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) daily flights to the UK, 7,758 British citizens had been departed home through 22 flights during nine days since April 4, said Turner.
The high commissioner said that British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab agreed to operate a series of chartered flights to repatriate UK citizens from Pakistan. The British authorities will also settle the matters related to the repatriation process besides providing financial assistance to its citizens, he added.
On April 9, Pakistan had extended its ban on all flight operations besides barring chartered and private planes till April 21 due to coronavirus pandemic.
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had notified the extension for the closure of all kind of flight operations including domestic and international following the orders of the federal government.
More than 1,000 British nationals returned home to the UK from Pakistan this weekend.
In total over 4000 people are expected to have flown back home from Pakistan after the coronavirus outbreak, according to a statement.
There are around 100,000 Brits who reside in Pakistan and 21,000 Brits are in the country for a short term stay at any given time.
The British High Commission (BHC) in Islamabad is working hard with the Government of Pakistan and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to help British nationals get home, the statement said, adding its priority is to support the most vulnerable, including the elderly and those with medical needs.
Staff at the British High Commission are working around the clock to help to operate a shift system, which is the biggest priority no, it maintained.
Talking to UK based Pakistani media through video link about the repatriation of British nationals from Pakistan after the outbreak of coronavirus, British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner said that it is the number one priority of his team now to provide Consular support to British nationals in Pakistan.
He said that our focus is to repatriate, elderly and people with underlying heath conditions first.
The statement said the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is engaging with commercial airlines where commercial routes are still open and charted flights are only arranged as last resort to places where commercial airlines have stopped operating.
LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Johnson in a tweet on Friday said that he has “developed mild symptoms” and is self-isolating.
“Over the last 24 hours, i have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus. I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus,” he said.
Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus.
I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government’s response via video-conference as we fight this virus.
— Boris Johnson #StayHomeSaveLives (@BorisJohnson) March 27, 2020
Another 115 people have died in the United Kingdom after testing positive for coronavirus, bringing the total number of deaths to 578.
Britain was slower than some of its European neighbours to tighten social distancing measures, with Johnson waiting until Monday night to tell pubs and restaurants to close and people to stay at home unless absolutely necessary.
The number of cases and deaths in Britain is lower than in Italy, Spain and France, but health officials and scientists have been warning that the peak of the epidemic lies several weeks ahead.
The United States now has more COVID-19 infections than any other country, and a record number of newly unemployed people, as the coronavirus crisis deepens around the world.
More than 530,000 people globally have been sickened by the disease, one sixth of them in the US, which on Thursday edged out Italy as the worst-affected nation.
SCOTLAND: A Pakistani origin couple residing in the United Kingdom have taken the onus of keeping those around them safe as the world is engaged with the deadly coronavirus pandemic, ARY News reported.
According to details, The couple living in the Scottish town of Falkirk who run a little confectionary store in the vicinity are preparing coronavirus prevention kits and distributing them free of charge to every elderly person walking inside their shop.
Earlier in the day, A newborn is believed to be the youngest person in the United Kingdom (UK) to have caught coronavirus.
North Middlesex University Hospital said two patients had tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, which has killed more than 5,000 people worldwide.
LONDON: London police rejected ‘political claims’ of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) regarding the alleged attack on personal physician of former premier’s Nawaz Sharif, Dr Adnan, terming it a dacoity incident, citing sources, ARY News reported on Tuesday.
It is pertinent to mention here that some unidentified masked persons attacked Dr Adnan, personal physician of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif in London with iron rods.
The PML-N leaders levelled allegations that the workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were involved in the attack on Dr Adnan without providing any evidences.
Police sources said the incident was not a kind of personal attack but a dacoity. The attackers snatch a wristwatch from Dr Adnan and the physician sustained wounds while resisting the masked men.
Various incidents of robbery and snatching of valuables are commonly reported in different parts of London.
London police will definitely hold a thorough investigation into the incident if the investigators find any clue of political or ethnic aspects in the case, sources added.
The injured doctor sustained injuries on the head, face and neck. Condition of Dr Adnan is said to be out of danger and he was later moved to Park Lane flats after being discharged from the hospital.
LONDON: Some unidentified persons attacked Dr Adnan, personal physician of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif in London, ARY News reported on Tuesday, citing sources.
The incident occurred in Central London where Dr Adnan was taking a walk in the evening. He was attacked by two persons with iron rods, wearing masks to hide their identity.
According to sources, Dr Adnan was shifted to and nearby hospital for treatment. Sources also informed that the London police have also been informed about the incident.
The injured doctor sustained injuries on head, face and the neck. Condition of Dr Adnan is said to be out of danger.
The police has also confirmed that they have received a complaint about the torture.
It may be noted that Dr Adnan is a personal physician of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who is currently in London along with the PML-N supremo to assist him in his treatment.
A prayer leader who was injured in a knife attack in a London mosque came back to the mosque less than 24 hours to offer Friday prayers.
Raafat Maglad, aged 70, was stabbed during afternoon prayers at London Central Mosque in Regent’s Park.
He was taken to hospital for medical attention and later discharged.
With his right arm in a sling, he narrated how the harrowing incident panned out saying: “I had shut my eyes and performed sajda (prostration). I felt as if I was hit by a heavy brick. This was extremely frightening.”
The elderly muezzin said he opened his eyes after a while and covered his wound with his hand to stop bleeding.
Some people present there called an ambulance while others helped him stop bleeding, he added.
“I was fortunate that my jugular vein remained unhurt,” he said.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also arrived at the mosque in a show of solidarity.
In a Twitter statement, he said: “I’m deeply concerned by this incident at London Central Mosque. Every Londoner is entitled to feel safe in their place of worship & I want to reassure London’s communities that acts of violence in our city will not be tolerated. The Met are providing extra resources in the area.”
I’m deeply concerned by this incident at London Central Mosque. Every Londoner is entitled to feel safe in their place of worship & I want to reassure London’s communities that acts of violence in our city will not be tolerated. The Met are providing extra resources in the area. https://t.co/iljzPrJ4fm
