The report prepared by the parliament committee on National Security Services (241 committee) after reviewing the relevant presidential commission's investigative report on the murder of former Ungoofaaru MP and religious scholar Dr. Afrasheem Ali has been approved by the parliament.
Dr. Afrasheem Ali was murdered in the stairwell of his residence on October 2, 2012. The Presidential Commission Investigating Murders and Enforced Disappearances in their report said the religious scholar's murder was not politically motivated, and was orchestrated by an extremist religious organization.
The report, which made eleven recommendations regarding the case, was approved by the parliament on Tuesday with 47 members voting in its favour. 10 members voted against approving the report.
The first recommendation was to take immediate action against those named in the report as having committed a criminal offence. The report noted the names of Hussain Humam, Ali Shan and a minor as people directly involved in executing the murder. The second recommendation called to locate the three suspects and share the information of their whereabouts with the committee.
The committee also recommended to trace financial transactions of all extremist organizations and the amount of funds involved. This includes looking into the finances of NGO Jamiyyath Salaf organization in the past seven years to identify if the organization was involved in funding Dr. Afrasheem's murder.
The report further recommended the parliament to take immediate action against those who gave false information to authorities regarding the murder, and those who withheld information. Former Islamic Minister Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed is included on the list.
It was further recommended to confirm the information on suspects involved in the case fleeing the country through identification of dates of travel, who granted them permission to leave the country, and identifying who were on the Immigration's controller board at the time. Additionally, it called to take immediate action against the religious organizations mentioned in the report.
The commission's report said the former MP was murdered over a difference of opinion over a religious matter. However, Afrasheem's family questioned the findings of the report, and refused to accept the report.
While the opposition has also raised questions regarding the report, they claim that the scholar's murder was being made into a political tool. Many claim the murder is linked to several high profile politicians.
