Fate of reference to determine Altaf-MI6 ‘nexus’

ISLAMABAD: The Tuesday’s reference sent to the British government against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain is the third one from the government of Pakistan but critically important to conclude if the man behind killings and terror here is really a guest of MI6 or not.

Informed sources said that the British authorities have not yet given any encouraging response to Pakistan’s previous two references in which action was sought against Altaf Hussain for inciting violence in Pakistan. Despite the lapse of several months, Pakistan is told that the British authorities are inquiring into the matter.

For years from London Altaf Hussain has been publicly making speeches full of hatred and inciting violence in Karachi but despite protests from Pakistanis, British-Pakistani community and even after formal requests from the government of Pakistan, the British authorities did not take action against the MQM founder.

Many here including even some in government smell a rat and suspect that Altaf Hussain is MI6 man and thus is given a free hand to spread terror in Pakistan.

Pakistani authorities insist that the latest reference has all the ingredients to make it a case of “incitement to violence” against Altaf Hussain as per the British laws. Pakistan has provided transcript of Altaf’s recent speech and all other relevant evidence against him for inciting public to violence and disrupting peace in Pakistan, which resulted in the killing of one person and destruction of public and private property.

Allegations of MI6’s support for Altaf Hussain and MQM are not new and even supported by British media. Senior British journalist Owen Bennet Jones wrote in The Guardian in 2013 that Altaf Hussain continues to reside in London comfortably despite his party’s violent activities in Karachi because of the support he provides to MI6 and western spy agencies.

“British interest in the MQM is largely driven by the perception that the party offers a defence against jihadis. But there is more to it than that. The MQM is British turf: Karachi is one of the few places left on earth in which the Americans let Britain take the lead. The US consulate in Karachi no longer runs active intelligence gathering operations in the city. The British still do. When it comes to claiming a place at the top table of international security politics – London’s relationship with the MQM is a remaining toehold,” he wrote. Khalid Shamim, a prime suspect in the killing of former MQM leader Dr Imran Farooq, was also recently reported to have said, “I know that Altaf Hussain, Muhammad Anwar and accomplices are being helped by MI6, RAW and CIA,” he said.

It is interesting to note that A S Dulat, the former chief of India’s notorious spy RAW while talking to an Indian TV Channel NDTV is also reported to have endorsed MI6-Altaf connection. He said, “Altaf Hussain is a guest of MI6 in Britain and all questions about him should be answered by MI6.”

In 2001, Altaf Hussain is alleged to have written a secret letter to the then Prime Minister Tony Blair in which he offered to spy for Britain besides calling for the abolition of the ISI.

The letter was dated 23 September 2001, signed by Altaf Hussain and reportedly delivered to 10 Downing Street by a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Southeast of England.

In the said letter, the British government was assured of MQM’s support in countering terrorism in Pakistan in return for help in achieving “equitable participation in governing the province of Sindh and in disbanding the ISI”. The letter appealed that the “ISI secret agency must be disbanded otherwise the ISI will continue to produce many Osama-bin-Ladens and Taliban in future”.

The MQM letter offered to provide “many demonstrations in Karachi in favour of the international community combating terrorism within five days notice after this agreement is signed, putting hundreds of thousands of people on the streets of Karachi” and “unlimited resources throughout the towns and villages in the province of Sindh and the province of Punjab to some extent, to monitor the activities of fundamentalists and Taliban-led organisations, and also to monitor the activities of Madrasas (religious schools)”. It also promised the UK “to ensure select groups to penetrate Afghanistan in the form of aid workers so as to enhance the Western agencies intelligence information capabilities”.