UK asks Pakistan to expedite investigations of Fahad Malik murder case

LONDON: British government has shown its dissatisfaction over the investigations of the murder case of a British-Pakistani citizen Barrister Fahad Malik who was killed in Islamabad when the accused fired bullets on his car near Shalimar police station where he had gone in his professional capacity to mediate a case between two parties involving groups linked with Tariq Malik and duo Raja Aarhsed and Nauman Khokhar.

On Thursday, former cabinet minister Sayeeda Warsi also issued a statement expressing her sorrow and demanding justice for Fahad Malik. Barrister Fahad Malik was brother-in-law of London-based businessman Zulfi Bukhari and elder brother of Jawad Sohrab Malik, who is also a British national.

The News has obtained a copy of the letter sent by British high commissioner to the IG Police of Islamabad in which the acting HC has shown concern, saying that the British government is always worried when any of its citizens is killed or harmed in any country.

The British HC has asked the IG Islamabad to provide him the details of the stage of the investigations so he can pass them to British government and the family of Fahad Malik who are “keen to hear about the latest position of the investigations”.

In the letter the acting HC also requested the Pakistani police and other officials to notify any death of British-Pakistani to the British high commission in Islamabad without any delay according to the article 37 of Vienna Convention.

In a statement on Thursday, Sayeeda Warsi said that Fahad Malik was a well-known and respected member of the Pakistani community in UK and was tragically assassinated in the vicinity of a police station in Islamabad on Monday, August 15.

She said: “This further murder of a British national is sadly indicative of the plague of killings and gang warfare which inflict casualties across Pakistan on a regular basis.  This attack in the heart of the country’s capital, Islamabad, a city in which I have lived and I know well, is even more alarming. I welcome the commitment that both Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan have given to this matter and urge them to continue to ensure that investigations are fully conducted to bring Fahad’s killers to justice.

“Pakistan must show that the rule of law is not just written but is operational and is implemented for British-Pakistanis who regularly travel to Pakistan for both work and pleasure. It is important that confidence in the police, army, security services and judiciary is maintained and the investigation, prosecution and conviction of Fahad Malik’s murderers will go some way to restoring that confidence.  My sincerest condolences and heartfelt sympathy is with Fahad Malik’s family especially his widow and two young children.  They are in our thoughts and prayers.”

It may be mentioned that Fahad Malik was brother in law of British-Pakistani businessman Zulfi Bukhari, a close friend of PTI chairman Imran Khan. Fahad’s younger brother Jawad Sohrab Malik is also a British national and owns a business in London. Fahad Malik was nephew of ex-chairman Senate Muhammad Mian Soomro and son-in-law of Syed Wajid Bukhari, ex federal minister of Pakistan.

Fahad’s family members from London are in Islamabad battling to get the killers arrested and put on trial. The killers were able to get bails in various cities of Pakistan without any difficulty and left Islamabad after the gruesome murder.