ISLAMABAD: Khalid Shamim, a key suspect in the murder case of senior MQM leader Imran Farooq, on Thursday disclosed that party supremo Altaf Hussain directed him to eliminate his onetime close aide in London.

According to Geo News, the revelations were made in a confessional statement before a magistrate.

The suspect said Altaf Hussain had said in his telephonic speech that Imran Farooq could be assassinated near a park.

Following the speech, the suspect said in his statement, he was asked by Muhammad Anwar, a senior London based MQM leader, to listen to the speech carefully as it contained a message for him for the future.

Shamim said Anwar accused the slain MQM leader of establishing a separate group in the party and said that it was necessary to stop him from going ahead with his plan.

He further said September 16 was chosen for Imran Farooq’s murder to present it as a “birthday gift to Altaf Husssain , who celebrates his birthday on September 17.

Khalid Shamim said the planning of the murder was made in MQM’s Nine Zero Headquarters in Karachi where his accomplices Moazzam Ali and Kashif Khan Kamran were also present.

He said Altaf Hussain sent 25,000 pounds through his nephew Iftikhar Hussain.

Reacting to media reports about the confessional statement of Khalid Shamim, Altaf Hussain’s close aide Nadeem Nusrat said the suspect remained under the custody of government agencies for five years.

He said: “We strongly reject the allegations made by Khalid Shamim.”