British police arrives in Pakistan to probe politician murder

A team of the British police arrived in Islamabad on Monday to investigate the 2010 murder of a senior Pakistani politician in London, official said.

Imran Farooq, a top leader of the Mutahida Qaumi Movement, a party of mainly ethnic Urdu-speaking people, was stabbed to death near his home in 2010.

The London Metropolitan Police have not yet succeeded to find out as to who were behind the high profile murder nearly five years ago.

The Interior Ministry said a two-member team of the Scotland Yard arrived in Islamabad Monday morning. A statement said the ministry will inform the media about "all details of this sensitive matter." The ministry advised the media to avoid speculations.

The team is likely to record statement of Moazzam Ali Khan, the businessman who reportedly furnished financial guarantees for British visas to two men believed to have killed Farooq. Khan was arrested in Karachi in April.

The security agencies also arrested the two suspects -- Mohson Ali and Khalid Shamim -- earlier this month from the border town of Chaman in Balochistan province. It is unclear if the government will also give access to the British police to question the two suspects.

The Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said last week the British police officials had sought access only to the main suspect.

"It is the responsibility of Pakistan to cooperate with British police in investigation," the minister said, adding the case is also important for Pakistan as a senior political leader had been killed.

The London police had earlier stated that slain Farooq had been planning his own "independent political profile" months before he was killed.

The British police had raided home of the MQM exiled leader Altaf Hussain and some other leaders there in connection with the case.

Pakistani officials said the MQM has no links with the murder and that the group also wants investigation of the incident. Endi