THOUSANDS of weeping mourners attended the funeral of a Pakistani politician murdered outside his Edgware home on Saturday.

Dr. Imran Farooq, 50, was stabbed and bludgeoned with a brick outside his flat in Green Lane as he returned home from work on September 16.

The father-of-two was a founding member of the MQM party, headquartered in Edgware High Street, Pakistan's third largest.

On Friday his body was flown back to Karachi accompanied by his wife Shumaila and two young sons, following prayers for him at Hendon Mosque on Thursday.

Officials in the city put a ban on public meetings and tight security in place for the ceremony in a large public park, attended by thousands of weeping mourners.

It was the first time he had returned to the country since fleeing in a self-imposed exile to Britain in 1999, after arrest warrants were issued against him by the ruling regime.

Dr Farooq's family were joined by members of several political parties, while the coffin was wrapped in a party flag.

On Friday police issued an E-fit of one of the men they believe was responsible for the murder of Dr Farooq.