UK MPs review progress on murder of Jawad Malik’s brother

LONDON: A group of members of the UK parliament have assured the brother of slain Barrister Fahad Malik that they would continue to press authorities in Pakistan to ensure that the killers are punished for the heinous crime.

Jawad, the British-Pakistani barrister's brother, met parliamentarians at the UK Parliament, wherein, at the Palace of Westminster, he met Naz Shah, Yasmin Qureshi, and Khalid Mahmood — of the Labour Party — and Conservative Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, a former cabinet minister in David Cameron’s government, to discuss progress of the case that has been ongoing for over two years.

Arshad Mehmood, Noman Khokhar, and Hashim Khan are currently in jail and awaiting trial after being accused of Fahad Malik's murder in Islamabad, back in August, two years ago, without any provocation.

Jawad, the deceased's brother who has been leading the case against several odds, told the parliamentarians that a divisional bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) — comprising of Justices Aamer Farooq and Mohsin Akhtar Kayani — ruled that the murder suspects should be tried in the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) due to case's gruesome nature.

Jawad, who is also a philanthropist and businessman, told the MPs that it was a painful and challenging struggle for him despite the fact that he was able to hire legal services of top lawyers such as Khawaja Haris, Akram Qureshi, Khawaja Naveed, and Asma Jahangir when she was alive.

He told the MPs that it was a big relief to the bereaved family that the IHC had sent the case back to the ATC although the case should never have been struck off from there in the first place.

The brother had first challenged the Islamabad ATC's December 2016 ruling wherein Justice Syed Kaiser Abbass Zaidi had moved the case from the ATC to an ordinary court.

The parliamentarians said Jawad Malik enjoyed an excellent reputation in the Pakistani and British business and social circles and was known for being an ambassador of a progressive Pakistan.

MP Khalid Mahmood, on the other hand, said he had known Jawad Malik’s father, Sohrab Malik, for more than a decade and appreciated the family's contributions to both countries.

“Their contribution is of immense value. I have known the father of Jawad and Fahad who contributed immensely in Britain and Pakistan,” he said.

Sayeeda Warsi, who has also spoken in favour of punishment to the killers, said she would make sure that the Pakistani authorities were reminded of their commitment to providing justice for the deceased.

MP Naz Shah said she had raised the issue of Fahad Malik's murder with Home Secretary Sajid Javid and the foreign office and would continue to speak up for him. She said the deceased's brother had put up a gallant fight and deserved support in his struggle for justice.

“Jawad Malik has made sure that the powerful don’t get away with the crime of murder and he has refused to cut any deals. That’s commendable,” she said.

MP Yasmeen Qureshi said the murders of British-Pakistani nationals were a serious issue and it was important that the government in Islamabad ensured security and swift prosecution to restore the confidence of overseas Pakistanis.

MP Afzal Khan said Jawad Malik was known for helping Pakistan through entrepreneurship and civic services but his brother's murder showed that criminals could take the law into their hands in hope of immunity.

Jawad Malik is the nephew of Muhammad Mian Soomro, who has previously held the positions of chairman of the Pakistani Senate, Governor of Sindh, and acting prime minister and president.

Soomro is now a parliamentarian for Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) from Sindh after emerging the victor over Aijaz Jakhrani, the former federal minister associated with the Pakistan People’s Party.