Pakistan MQM leader Altaf Hussain arrested in London

Police in London have arrested the leader of Pakistan's powerful MQM party, Altaf Hussain, on suspicion of money-laundering.
Officers are searching a residential address in north-west London where they say a 60-year-old man was detained.
Mr 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. Police are on alert amid reports of violence.
The British and Pakistan authorities have in the past expressed concerns that any arrest of Altaf Hussain could lead to violent protests in Karachi.
Shootings have been reported from some parts of Pakistan's largest city, which BBC correspondents say is tense.
Traffic jams were reported in Karachi and other cities in Sindh province as businesses closed and people headed home fearing violence.
One man in the city, who gave his name as Tahir, told the BBC that MQM supporters were firing in the streets and setting fire to any shop which remained open.
Another, Nabil, said there had been "turmoil" and "massive confusion" about whether Altaf Hussain had been arrested or not.
Who is Altaf Hussain?
Born in Karachi in 1953 to a middle-class family; studied pharmacy at university.
Formed MQM party in 1984 to represent Mohajirs - descendants of Urdu-speaking Muslims who migrated from India to Pakistan.
Requested political asylum in UK in 1992, later gained British citizenship; continues to run MQM from north London.
Karachi has been wracked by violence - much of it politically motivated.
Security is being tightened around the British mission in the city, which has been closed temporarily, and other buildings.
A Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) spokesman in London, Nadeem Nusrat, confirmed the arrest and urged its supporters to "maintain peace at all cost".
"The police arrived with a search warrant and wanted to question Mr Hussain regarding allegations of money laundering," he said in a statement.
Mr Hussain had been "very unwell" for the past few days and was getting ready to go to hospital when the police arrived, the statement added.

Live updates: Altaf Hussain arrested in London on charges of money laundering

LONDON: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain was arrested in London on the charges of money laundering, sources in MQM said on Tuesday.
The London Police had been investigating Hussain in this case for over several months now.
In a TV interview, Altaf had revealed that all his bank accounts in Britain had been frozen by the authorities. The MQM chief had admitted that the British authorities had conducted raids at his house and at his office.

2:40pm
MQM sources in Karachi say they are unable to contact the members of London office.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2:37pm
British High Commission has confirmed the arrest. A special unit of the Scotland Yard arrested him from his house.
Exams have been postponed in various schools. Intermediate Board papers have also been cancelled.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2:27pm
Scotland Yard has not revealed the identity of the man arrested, Express News reported. According to the their press release, a 60-year-old man has been arrested on charges of money-laundering.
Karachi University examinations have been cancelled for the day.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2:22pm
Naeem Khanzada, reporting from Nine-Zero, says party members are gathering at the party headquarters for the emergency meeting.
MQM London Secretariat members say they will announce future course of action once the situation is clearer.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2:15pm
Spokesperson for London Metropolitan Police told The Express Tribune that a 60-year-old man was arrested from North West London on suspicion of money laundering. He further said that they do not disclose identities till the person is charged.
MQM Rabita Committee will be addressing a press conference at 3pm.
Two MQM leaders have denied the arrest of their party chief.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2:12pm
According to MQM leader Khawaja Izharul Hassan, the Rabita Committee has called for an emergency meeting and party members have started to gather at Nine Zero
Security has been put on high alert throughout Sindh.
Shops and businesses have started to shut down in Karachi and other cities of Sindh.
The British High Commission in Karachi has been temporarily shut down.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2:00pm
MQM Rabita Committee member Aminul Haq says they will issue a statement regarding this and will inform everyone about the situation.
Karachi Stock Exchange dropped by 780 points as soon as the news of Hussain arrest broke out. The market is now recovering.
1:46pm
Javed Chaudhry, while speaking to Express News today, said London Police were investigating Hussain for three cases of money laundering, hate speech and Imran Farooq murder.
Background
In June last year, as part of their investigation into the Imran Farooq murder case, Scotland Yard had raided Altaf Hussain’s house in London. The search operation had continued for over 55 hours.
Later in July 2013, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police in London had told The Express Tribune that a significant amount of money was seized in the raid from the house of the MQM chief. However, the spokesperson did not disclose whether the politician is being questioned over it.
Another spokesperson had said that if a money laundering case is established, then it would be treated as a financial case, separate from the murder case of Dr Imran Farooq.
Farooq, 50, was a former leader of MQM and had lived in London in self-imposed exile from 1999. He was on his way back from work when he was attacked outside his home in Edgware, north London, in September 2010. A post-mortem gave the cause of death as multiple stab wounds and blunt trauma to the head. A kitchen knife and a house brick used in the attack were recovered at the scene.

Pakistan MQM leader 'held in London'

Police in London arrest Pakistani MQM leader Altaf Hussain on money-laundering charges,

Altaf Hussain arrested in London on charges of money laundering

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Altaf Hussain was arrested on Tuesday in London on charges of money laundering.
Hussain was being investigated for money laundering worth at least 400,000 pounds as well as for incitement to violence and MQM leader Dr Imran Farooq’s murder.
The Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE-100 index) fell 780 points immediately after the news came and commercial centres across Sindh's provincial capital started to shut down.
MQM leader Farogh Naseem however said that Hussain had not been arrested and Scotland Yard only needed him for a statement in relation to a case.
Last week, senior MQM leader Farooq Sattar had disclosed at a public meeting that Hussain’s bank accounts in London were being frozen and had asked party workers and supporters to continue their ‘peaceful struggle’ against the British government.
Hussain, who has been living in London for over two decades and is now a British citizen, did not address that meeting held to condemn money-laundering investigations against him by UK authorities.