Altaf’s arrests and probes during his 36-year long political career

LAHORE: At a juncture when the embattled MQM Chief Altaf Hussain might most probably have been gearing up to get his bail extended in London beyond April 2015 in a suspected money laundering case, he has suddenly found himself booked in an FIR registered by the Pakistan Rangers in Karachi for allegedly threatening the paramilitary force, meaning thereby that the 61-year old exiled politician will now be fighting simultaneously on two legal fronts—one at home and one abroad.
According to the official record, the first criminal case was registered against Altaf Hussain dates back to 1979 when he had allegedly set ablaze the national flag during a public meeting of the All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organisation in Karachi.
Between 1979 and 1995, a lot of cases were registered against Altaf Hussain in different police stations of Karachi. These included 12 cases of murder, three pertaining to sedition, 12 related to assault on public servants, seven each in criminal conspiracy and wrongful confinement, 11 cases under the attempt to murder, 19 cases of kidnapping, 18 cases of arson and 36 FIRs of armed rioting.
Leading an exiled life in London since January 1992 or a month after he had escaped unhurt in an assassination attempt on December 21, 1991 near Ayesha Manzil, F.B Area of Karachi, Altaf has been arrested thrice in Pakistan till date and at least once in London during his eventful political career spanning over 36 years since the formation of the All Pakistan Muhajir Students Organisation in 1978.
Currently facing interrogation in London for his alleged involvement in money laundering under the British Proceeds of the Crime Act and being probed in connection with the allegations of the September 2010 murder of his own party leader Imran Farooq, Altaf was first handcuffed on August 14, 1979 when he was attending a demonstration at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah for the return of Pakistanis stranded in Bangladesh.
On October 2, 1979 he was sentenced to a nine-month imprisonment, besides being ordered by the court to be flogged five times. He was released after fully completing his sentence on April 28, 1980. Altaf Hussain was arrested for the second time on October 31, 1986 when he was returning after delivering a fiery speech at Hyderabad’s Pakka Qilla.
He and his companions were released from Karachi’s Central Prison on February 24, 1987 and all charges against them were dropped.
The third time Altaf was sent behind the bar was on August 30, 1987. He had, in fact, courted arrest on this occasion. He was set free on January 7, 1988 as the then government had buckled under mounting pressure of a mass movement launched by the MQM workers for the release of their leader.
On December 6, 2012 and on June 18, 2013 two residential properties in Edgware, London were searched by the British police and one of the two residential addresses raided, according to media reports, was owned by Altaf Hussain.
On June 20, 2013 as part of their investigation on the Imran Farooq murder case, Scotland Yard had raided Altaf Hussain’s London house and some material was seized from his residence, which was searched for 55 hours. Altaf was probed for seven hours.
On June 30 of the same year, Altaf Hussain had resigned as MQM’s party head, voluntarily handing over party’s authority and responsibilities to his political entity’s Rabita Committee, though he had taken back the decision of resignation few hours later on request of his loyalists.
Just a few days later, incumbent Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had said in a statement that Altaf Hussain’s interrogation was being carried out according to UK laws.
And on June 3, 2014 police in London had arrested Altaf Hussain on suspicion of money laundering. He was released on bail about four days later.
The BBC had reported on June 3, 2014: “Officers are searching a residential address in north-west London where they say a 60-year-old man was detained. Hussain has lived in the UK since 1991, saying his life would be at risk if he returned to Pakistan. His party, which controls Karachi, has urged supporters to stay calm amid outbreaks of violence there. The British and Pakistani authorities have in the past expressed concerns that any arrest of Altaf Hussain could lead to violent protests in Karachi.”
Having gained British citizenship in 2002, Altaf has been nominated in several police cases in Pakistan.
In 1995, the then Chief Minister Sindh Syed Abdullah Shah had named Altaf Hussain and three others in the FIR of his brother Ehsan Ali Shah’s murder case.
Ehsan Shah was shot dead in first week of December 1995 and Syed Abdullah Shah had named Altaf Hussain and three others in the FIR of his brother’s murder case.
In the second week of December 1995, Nasir Hussain, 62, a retired government official and elder brother of Altaf Hussain, was abducted and killed under mysterious circumstances along with his elder son, Arif Hussain, 27.
Altaf Hussain had accused the then president Farooq Leghari, prime minister Benazir Bhutto, chief minister Abdullah Shah, interior minister Naseerullah Babar and the then Rangers director general of being responsible for his brother’s murder.