Scotland Yard starts ‘hate speech’ inquiry against Altaf again
Inquiry centres around Altaf’s controversial remarks about Rangers, law enforcement agencies over Karachi operation; complications for MQM to worsen if Pakistan launches complaint at the official level
It was revealed during Geo TV’s ‘Aaaj Shahzeb Khanzada kay Saath’ on Monday that the MQM leader is being investigated for his controversial remarks made on 11 March this year – on this date Altaf Hussain had said that those Rangers who raided the MQM Karachi headquarters had become a thing of the past and shall be treated as such. Many had taken Altaf Hussain’s comments as a veiled threat to the members of the law enforcement agencies.
When approached by this correspondent to make a comment, a source at the Specialist Crime and Operations Unit told that the broadcast was made on “11 March this year in Pakistan by an individual associated with Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)”.
The source said, “We would not name individuals we are investigating or discuss any on going lines of enquiries.” But this scribe understands that the individual is none other than Altaf Hussain.
It can further be revealed that the police is also investigating into Altaf Hussain’s 30 April speech in which he had spoken against the Rangers operations and called on his followers to get armed training if need be. The source told that these two and at least three other speeches are being looked into by officers of the Scotland Yard for any incitement and hate material.
“The issues are being considered at a very senior level within the Metropolitan police,” a source told Geo News, further adding: “We will refer the matter to the prosecution service when our probe is complete. We take all allegations of crime seriously; responding to the concerns raised and will take action where appropriate.”
This scribe is aware that the hate speech matter is being dealt
with at a senior level in the police. The latest investigation comes nearly two year after the first hate speech investigation which was started in May of 2013 after the MPS received a large number of complaints, totaling several thousand, following speeches made by Altaf Hussain after the general elections, mainly the Teen Talwar speech.
“Specialist Crime and Operations officers carried out extensive searches to locate and gather, what was a substantial amount of material, all of which required translation,” said a police spokesman explaining onrecord that that probe was dropped after careful examination and in close consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). He said the police has then concluded that, though the comments may offend some members of the community, they do not constitute a criminal offence.
This correspondent is aware that lots of complaints were made by members of Pakistani community in Britain to Scotland Yard after controversy erupted over Altaf Hussain’s remarks about Rangers during Shahzeb Khanzada’s show. It was said after the 30 April speech that it was not the general public which has viewed Hussain’s statements as a threat, but the army has viewed Hussain as inciting people to rise against the state. An FIR was registered against Hussain in Karachi. It was alleged that Altaf Hussian during that speech called for youth to save their pocket money, buy arms, take commando physical training and learn how to shoot.
Scotland Yard had dropped the first investigation in June 2014 after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) told the police that there was no sufficient evidence against Altaf Hussain to prosecute him, therefore, the case shall not be pursued any further.
