An anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on Thursday awarded life imprisonment to the three accused in Dr Imran Farooq murder case, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The court reserved its judgment on May 21 as it completed the trial after five years against the three nominated persons – Mohsin Ali, Moazzam Ali and Khalid Shamim.

The judgment was announced via video link from the Central Jail Rawalpindi – also known as Adiala jail. The three convicts will also pay Rs1 million each to the heirs of the slain political leader.

In 2015, the FIA had registered a case in connection with the high-profile murder of Imran, an MQM founding member, who was stabbed to death in London in September 2010 near his residence.

The FIA had also nominated MQM founder Altaf Hussain for allegedly ordering the murder which was executed through the operatives.

The anti-terrorism court judge, Shahrukh Arjumand, also said that the detailed judgment would be announced later in the day.

In his final arguments on May 21, FIA prosecutor Khawaja Imtiaz Ahmed said solid evidence was available against the MQM founder and Anwer Hussain – the two proclaimed offenders.

Those who had been arrested for committing for the crime were also from the MQM, he argued while requesting the court to sentence the accused.

When the prosecutor requested orders for confiscation of Altaf’s immoveable and moveable properties in Pakistan, the judge replied that the court had already passed the directives on the issue.

According to the prosecutor, the law allowed Pakistan to carry out the trial and the only objection the UK government had was about awarding death penalty.

Pakistan has assured the UK that the accused won’t be sentenced to death in case they were found guilty of the crime, he added.

Khawaja said the British witnesses had recorded their statements through video link from the UK, adding that their testimonies were acceptable under the law. Bank accounts were opened in Pakistan in connection with carrying out the assassination, he added.

On the other hand, the counsel for Mohsin, in final arguments, said the FIA forced his client to confess and concocted the statement after taking a signature of the accused on a plain paper.

Similarly, the counsel for Moazzam said his client was a businessman and the FIA had tried to link a banking transaction with the murder.