Faheem Farooqi
| Faheem Farooqi | |
|---|---|
| Native name | فہیم کمانڈو |
| Born | |
| 💀Died | October 1995 Karachi, PakistanOctober 1995 |
| Cause of death | Alleged extrajudicial killing |
| Other names | Faheem "Commando" |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Known for | Alleged involvement in Karachi political violence during the 1990s |
Faheem Farooqi (died October 1995), widely known as Faheem Commando, was an alleged militant commander associated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in 1990s Karachi. His reported killing during a police encounter stirred controversy and criticism of law enforcement methods.[1]
Background
According to contemporary reports, MQM leadership condemned the killings of Farooqi and other MQM-linked detainees as fake encounters that violated legal norms and democratic principles. MQM's founder argued that such killings incited armed resistance. Amnesty International also documented his case as part of a pattern of extrajudicial executions in Karachi during the mid-1990s.
Encounter and death
Most reports agree that Farooqi was arrested in mid-October 1995 and later killed in what police described as an armed encounter.[1] MQM sources and several editorials disputed this, calling it a staged execution. While a later Dawn Wire Service dispatch (1996) suggested his name in connection with the 1995 Karachi Secretariat attack, independent accounts note that Faheem had already been killed by then, highlighting inconsistencies in official versions.
Legacy
In a 2016 Dawn feature on Saulat Mirza, his family recalled how Mirza’s friendship with "Fahim Commando" influenced his path toward militancy—framing Faheem as a symbolic figure in Karachi's turbulent social history. Editorials in 1995 also framed his death as emblematic of broader state excesses, warning that such actions undermined justice and deepened public anger.
References
- "Case of Faheem Commando". Herald. Dawn Group. October 1995.
- "MQM condemns killings in Karachi". Dawn. October 1995.
- Pakistan: Extrajudicial executions in Karachi (Report). Amnesty International. 1996.
- "MQM activists killed in police encounter". Dawn Wire Service. February 1996.
- "His friendship with Fahim Commando was the turning point". Dawn. 11 May 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
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