MQM says media trial should end after London police clarification

KARACHI: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Tuesday said that the ongoing 'media trial' of the party should end as the London Met police has disowned an alleged confessional statement by senior leader Tariq Mir.

"The media and political opponents should show responsibility and instead of wasting their energy against MQM they should pay attention on the problems faced by the country," said a statement by the MQM's Rabita Committee.

Earlier today, the BBC published a story which quoted a London police spokesman saying the document was not part of its official police record.

The alleged transcript, which initially appeared on social media last week and was later picked up by all major news outlets in Pakistan, appeared to show the senior MQM leader confessing that he and his party had received money from India — an allegation denied by the party.

However, a Met police spokesman told the BBC in an email today that the statement was not a police document. The BBC report said London police replied with a short email saying they had examined the alleged statement published in several Pakistani newspapers.

After examining this document we can confirm that this is not a police document, the report quoted police spokesman Allan Crockerford as saying.