ISLAMABAD:An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Islamabad on Thursday sentenced three accused to life imprisonment in the murder case of MQM leader Imran Farooq.

The court also fined convicts Moazzam Ali, Khalid Shamim and Mohsin Ali for one million rupees each. Dr Imran Farooq was stabbed to death by unidentified persons in London on September 16, 2010.

The judgment was read by ATC Judge Shahrukh Arjumand as the accused appeared before the court through a video link to attend the hearing.

The judge noted that the prosecution had succeeded in proving the case against all three accused. The accused, Khalid Shamim, Mohsin Ali and Mauzzam Ali have been in Adiala jail ever since they were arrested. The court also issued perpetual arrest warrants for MQM founder Altaf Hussain, Iftikhar Hussain, Muhammad Anwar and Kashif Kamran.

In its judgment the court also ordered the accused to pay Rs 1 million each to the heirs of the murdered MQM leader. The judgment was reserved on May 21 this year after the completion of the trial.

During the hearings, 29 witnesses recorded their statements in the case. In February, a team of Scotland Yard officers had also arrived in Islamabad for a week to facilitate the trial taking place in both London and Pakistan after the UK and Pakistan decided to cooperate and the UK sent the entire murder case file to Pakistan for the trial.