ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will Monday (today) conduct hearing in the appeals of three convicts in Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Imran Farooq murder case. 
A division bench of IHC comprising Chief Justice of IHC Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Aamer Farooq will conduct hearing of the appeals filed by the three convicts including Khalid Shamim, Moazzam Ali and Mohsin Ali challenging an anti-terrorism court’s verdict dated Jun 18, 2020 that had sentenced them to life imprisonment.  
The convicts – Khalid Shamim, Moazzam Ali and Mohsin Ali – filed the appeals through their counsel and requested the high court to strike down the verdict and order their release. They made the state and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as respondent in the appeals. 
On June 18, 2020, the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Islamabad had sentenced the appellants to life imprisonment in the high-profile murder case of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Dr Imran Farooq. They were also imposed a fine of Rs1.2 million each. 
In his appeal, Mohsin informed the court that the ATC judge had convicted him despite the fact that evidence with the prosecution was insufficient to connect him with the crime.
He contended that he had been implicated in the case because of some banking transactions. He added that being a businessman, he had done several banking transactions with different individuals and entities. 
The appellant maintained that it was an admitted fact that he was not present at the crime scene at the time of the murder of Dr Farooq. 
The Counter Terrorism Wing (CTW) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered a first information report (FIR) alleging that the assassination of Dr Farooq was the result of a conspiracy hatched in the United Kingdom and Pakistan by Altaf Hussain, founder of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Muhammad Anwar, senior member of the MQM, and Iftikhar Hussain. As a result of the conspiracy, Khalid Shamim and Moazzam Ali facilitated and sent Muhammad Kashif Khan Kamran, along with Syed Mohsin Ali, to the United Kingdom to kill Dr Imran Farooq. Dr Farooqe  was killed in Green Lane, Edgeware area of London, on Sept 16, 2010.