MQM-RAW links issue to be settled once and for all: Minister

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan intends to settle the issue of alleged MQM-RAW links once and for all with the purpose of either proceeding against the party and its leaders on the basis of evidence or giving them a clean chit.

In his statement conveyed to this correspondent, the minister said that in case of evidence, action will be taken against the MQM and its leadership as per the law of the land. Otherwise, the MQM will be given a clean chit.

In any case, the minister said that the government will make the outcome of the FIA inquiry public. Responding to The News story “Do Agencies have evidence of MQM-RAW link?”, the minister explained that the interior ministry has already approached all the key intelligence agencies of the country as well as the Sindh government to share with the FIA any information and evidence they may have of the MQM-RAW connection.

If such allegations are found correct and there is evidence available, the government will move against the MQM and its top leadership. Otherwise, the MQM will get a clean chit on the allegations that have been haunting it for the past two decades.

The interior minister added that a reference has been sent to all the top intelligence agencies with the request that they should share with the FIA any evidence or information they may have on the charges of money laundering against the Muttahida and concerning the MQM-RAW links.

The minister said that a similar request had been made to the Sindh government which in case of such allegations is the most relevant provincial government.The FIA has recently started an investigation into the allegations of funding by Indian intelligence agency RAW to the MQM after Sarfraz Merchant recently leveled these allegations in a Geo interview.

Sarfaraz Merchant had claimed that several lists of explosive weapons had been found in the house of Altaf Hussain in London during a raid by the Scotland Yard in 2014. He also spoke of the party’s links with India in the first-ever TV interview since the launch of the money-laundering investigation in 2012.

He claimed that police had shown him a list of highly explosive weapons found in the MQM chief’s house and asked him if he had paid for the weapons or knew whose signatures were there on the list. The list showed that over £65,000 had been paid for the weapons as well as its conversion into Indian rupee.

Merchant had said that the investigators had told him that they were also in possession of several other such lists. According to him, the Scotland Yard asked him if he was aware that the MQM had received money from Indian sources and whether he had any role in facilitating this money.

Merchant had also claimed that the Scotland Yard police had given him a document which stated that they had “credible evidence” that the MQM had received funding from India and Mohammad Anwar and Tariq Mir accepted before the police that they had received money from Indian RAW.

The FIA has already requested Merchant for an interview in respect to the probe into the matter. The FIA has also approached Mustafa Kamal, who recently also accused MQM leadership of having links with RAW.