Senior Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leader and Federal Minister Mustafa Kamal on Sunday accused the party’s founder, Altaf Hussain, of orchestrating the murder of senior MQM leader Dr Imran Farooq.
Speaking at a press conference in Karachi, Kamal alleged that Hussain ordered the killing while intoxicated. He said the murder was carried out on Hussain’s instructions.
Dr Farooq was among the founding members of the MQM when it began as a student movement. He was widely regarded as the party’s ideological architect and played a key role in shaping its constitution, discipline and organisational structure.
He was murdered on September 16, 2010, in London. Police said he was attacked outside his home after returning from work. Two men assaulted him using a brick and knives, killing him on the spot.
Dr Farooq had moved to London in 1999 after a security forces operation against the MQM over allegations of involvement in terrorist activities.
The killing drew international attention and led to a lengthy investigation by Scotland Yard. While several MQM members were later convicted, allegations about the involvement of senior party leadership have persisted.
At the press conference, Kamal described the MQM founder as “a theatrical man” who performs “item songs over corpses” and sees himself as a ruler.
He alleged that Hussain staged a dramatic display over the body of Dr Farooq’s wife and sought donations worth millions of pounds to send the body to Pakistan.
Kamal claimed Dr Farooq was killed as a “gift” on the MQM founder’s birthday. He said an appeal for donations was also made alongside the killing.
Dr Farooq’s wife, Shumaila Farooq, died in London on December 19 this year. She reportedly suffered from throat cancer.
Kamal further alleged that the MQM founder relied on foreign funding, destroyed generations and continues to harm people. He urged Dr Farooq’s children not to engage with him.
He said he had remained in contact with Dr Farooq’s widow and children, who were placed under Scotland Yard protection after the murder.
In 2020, an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad convicted three Pakistani nationals for Dr Imran Farooq’s murder.
Khalid Shamim, Mohsin Ali and Moazzam Ali, all MQM members, were sentenced to life imprisonment. Each was also fined Rs1 million, payable to Dr Farooq’s family.
British police shared evidence with Pakistani authorities after receiving assurances that the accused would not face the death penalty.
The court also ordered the seizure of property belonging to four other suspects who remain absconders.
Later investigations found that suspects identified as Syed and Kamran had links to the MQM. Investigators said this strengthened the view that the killing was politically motivated.
Dr Farooq’s death marked a turning point for the MQM. The party, which once dominated Karachi’s politics for decades, later splintered into multiple factions amid leadership disputes and internal divisions.