British journalist declares statements of Tariq Mir, Sarfraz to London police correct

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Owen Bennett-Jones, a British journalist, has declared the statements of MQM leaders Tariq Mir and Sarfraz Merchant during the investigation of the London police correct. He has claimed that development on the case would halt due to different priorities of Pakistan and Britain. He claimed that the documents were leaked by either an official of the Pakistan government or an estranged worker of the MQM. Owen Bennett-Jones said that the documents were leaked with extreme dexterity, i.e. their content was the same, but their style was changed. According to Owen Bennett-Jones, the MQM has not contradicted the confessional statement of Tariq Mir and just raised the issue of style and signatures on them. He said that the London police also issued a statement very carefully, saying it was not their statements. “However, the London police have not contradicted the documents.” He is of the view that the London police are firstly focusing on the Imran Farooq murder case and secondly on the money laundering case. The Pakistan authorities want to get the money laundering case first interrogated and then its judicial proceedings because they want to highlight the issue of Indian funding to the MQM. They do not want to take forward the Imran Farooq murder case immediately. For this reason, the London police officials have not been given an access to Mohsin Ali Syed and Khalid Shamim. The access has been restricted to Moazzam Ali Khan. Under these circumstances, Pakistan would like to prolong the Imran Farooq murder case and give the London police a limited access to the accused. In response, Britain will adopt the go-slow policy over the money laundering case.