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Britain Arrests Self-Exiled Prominent Pakistani Politician

Ayaz Gul

   ISLAMABAD - British police have arrested the self-exiled founder of a
   major Pakistani political party on charges he was intentionally
   encouraging or assisting criminal offenses in his native country.

   Altaf Hussain, who founded the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), was
   taken into custody Tuesday during a raid on his residence in northwest
   London. The post-arrest official announcement did not name Hussain, but
   Pakistani officials in Islamabad confirmed the man in custody was the
   MQM founder.

   "Throughout the investigation, officers have been liaising with
   Pakistani authorities in relation to our ongoing inquiries," noted
   Scotland Yard. It said the detainee was being questioned by
   counterterrorism officers.

   A search was being carried out at the northwest London address and
   detectives were also searching a separate commercial address in the
   area, the statement added.

   The politician, 66, is a British citizen who has been living in Britain
   since fleeing a Pakistan government crackdown on his party in
   1992.Hussain's arrest, apparently stemmed from speeches he delivered by
   telephone to MQM workers in Pakistan in which he allegedly urged them
   to take the law into their own hands.The investigation is focused on a
   2016 speech, according to Scotland Yard.
   

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