What's new

The Altaf Hussain cult

I don’t think you remotely understand Pakistani politics or Altaf Bhai’s influence if you’re for a second comparing him to guys like Fawad Chaudhry or Fayyaz ul Chauhan.

Altaf Being on this show as a panelist (not even one on one interview) is like Bal Thackeray being on Arnabs show with other random panelists. It was almost weird for me to see a random nobody from Pakistan shouting at Altaf and calling him a rat on his face considering Altaf till only few years ago is known to have order hitmen on people who have said much much less about him. That just shows how much he has fallen.


I don’t know how to explain but I’m sure the Karachi people here will understand.

It just feels surreal and scarcely believable to see him in such a helpless state.
 
I don’t know how to explain but I’m sure the Karachi people here will understand.

It just feels surreal and scarcely believable to see him in such a helpless state.

It's the drugs/medication and mental disintegration. The guy is not of sound mind anymore. He's just a rambling, incoherent mess of a man now.
 
It's the drugs/medication and mental disintegration. The guy is not of sound mind anymore. He's just a rambling, incoherent mess of a man now.

Should be brought back to Pakistan and made to pay for his crimes.
 
Should be brought back to Pakistan and made to pay for his crimes.

I doubt he will even know what's going on and will probably die bleating. My father was a big supporter of MQM and Saleem Shehzad used to often our house in Dubai because he was a partner in one of my father's businesses (Al Aswad rice if I remember correctly) but later they had a falling out when it came to light that he was using it to launder money.

I remember "collecting" the khaals from our areas in Karachi (Gulistan e Jauhar area at the time) during Bakra Eid as a kid for Altaf "bhai", little did I know that it was going to generate tens of millions for the party and the mafia.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTVBNUwYxCw

What a fall from Grace

From addressing millions of people in a rally and shutting down a city at a moment's call to becoming a rent a quote guest on Arnab Goswami's show.

So whoever appear on Arnab Godwami’s show has fallen from grace?

As for AH, he has gone mentally insane now. So its a pity that he is being misused by the opportunistic Goswami. But having said that Altaf in his day was the true leader of Muhajirs and a representative of ordinary common men (unlike most other political parties of pakistan). He challenged the status quo and military hegemony in Pakistan, which is why he was targeted from very beginning and made to leave the country. Right now after his departure (and mental incapacity) the whole Muhajir community is without a proper leadership and under Army’s censorship & control. Hopefully some new and charismatic leader will show up sooner or later.
 
So whoever appear on Arnab Godwami’s show has fallen from grace?

Yes.

Especially in his case he used to close down the biggest city in the country on a whim and now he is having to share being a panelist with random people who are calling him a rat. Few years ago the person who called him a rat would’ve likely been done with by the end of the night if he had the courage to do so
 
Ok, each to their own. Its not a big deal in my opinion.

I actually, agree with quite a bit of what AH says. Its just that he has gone a bit nuts, so cant always make a comprehensive logical arguments in longer conversations. Listen to some of his old speeches on YouTube and you will see what I mean. Its actually a bit low of Goswami to misuse AH’s incapacity this way.
 
I remember "collecting" the khaals from our areas in Karachi (Gulistan e Jauhar area at the time) during Bakra Eid as a kid for Altaf "bhai", little did I know that it was going to generate tens of millions for the party and the mafia.

Cue the circumcision jokes...
 
https://www.geo.tv/latest/351325-mqm-founder-altaf-hussains-terror-speech-trial-next-year-in-uk

Muttahida Qaumi Movement founder Altaf Hussain will go on trial in January next year at the UK's Kingston Crown Court for allegedly using hate speech and encouraging an act of terrorism.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed to Geo News that Hussain’s trial will start on January 31, 2022 and last for about three weeks.

The MQM founder had sought to delay his trial indefinitely, citing serious health issues and COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, sources said.

The CPS confirmed that Hussain’s trial had been postponed twice before because of the pandemic and his own health issues.

The MQM leader spent nearly a month in Barnet Hospital from mid-December last year to January 12, 2021 after being taken in an ambulance for suffering "serious" COVID-19 symptoms.

After returning home, Hussain fell ill again a week later and spent a week in the hospital. His doctors had told the court he suffered from a severe form of infection in multiple organs along with pneumonia.

Since the last three months, the MQM founder has been doing well and has made several live speeches to his followers on social media.

Hussain’s last court appearance, virtually, was at the Old Bailey around a year ago where his lawyer told Justice May DBE that the MQM supremo didn’t approve of the editorial stance by Geo News when he ordered his workers in August 2016 to attack several media houses in the port city of Karachi.

His lawyer, Joel Bennathan, had told the court that Hussain was upset and agitated at the way three major news channels had censored his speeches and didn’t provide him coverage prior to the infamous August 16, 2016 address, which ultimately led to the unraveling of his party and politics.

At that hearing, Hussain’s lawyer had applied for the complete dismissal of the hate speech charges against his client, but his application was dismissed.

Hussain’s lawyer said that the MQM founder had made the speech only for “political purposes”, didn’t encourage terrorism and didn’t mean to do anything violent, damage properties, intimidate opponents or any state institution or media house.

Hussain, 67, has been charged under the Terrorism Act, 2006 on suspicion of intentionally encouraging or assisting offences contrary to Section 44 of the Serious Crime Act, 2007.

UK authorities launched the investigations into the matter after an FIR was lodged in Karachi naming the MQM leader as the instigator.
 
Does anyone know whats he up to these days?

Haven't heard about him on any platforms for a while.
 
Altaf tell Pakistan's 'establishment' to wake up as they may end up hushing up voices of resentment for now, but risk stoking flames of resentment in the longer term.

To be honest, I have no time for Altaf for what his people did to Karachi but then if we can have the likes of PPP who burnt down Karachi after Benazir's death walking away as if it was nothing, then we can also take a moment to listen to him?

 
Last edited by a moderator:
PTI supporters will give credibility to even a coma patient, as long as that person supports them.

Of all the people, now Altaf Hussain's so called prophecy is to be taken serious?

In the longer run, the military always gets a group of people that will rally their cause and convert the armys image into a positive one. I learned this when when people used to praise the dog called Hamid Gul and than against learned this when Raheel Sharif and his DG ISPR took charge.


No matter what the army does, it will find a group. The army used PTI in their own favor and got its image cleaned. The very same PTI folks on this forum used to praise the military soo much that they even said its a good thing there is interference of military as the bad apples are being eradicated and as along as that happens, military interference isnt a bad thing. Anyone who even spoke against military were even reminded of the Penal code 505 and 138 thread. Ironically when Military became against PTI and PTI fans talked against them than that penal code didn't matter.

The army will clean its image in the long run. If Project Imran failed, they can still fund another person and make that person, his party and his supporters their puppets and get what they want. All it takes a COAS that backs and funds you, an ISI DG that maneuvers elections and stages dharnas of islamist groups, and the most important of all, a DG ISPR who knows how to play to the gallows.

Asim Bajwa did a great job in his propaganda and got away with it.

If this country can make someone like Hamid Gul a hero, than trust me, when it comes to PR, no one can beat Pak Army. So lets be a bit realistic here, look at our own past mistakes, instead of taking uncle altaf hussain as some expert.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Think you didn't read my post properly.

You saw Altaf and PPP and went off in some direction.

I have no sympathy for Altaf in the same way I feel that the people responsible for burning Karachi, ie the PPP leadership should be sitting with the current defendents in the military courts today.

What he is saying, if you had listened and I will summarise to help you out.

1. People will be put in jails etc now and go quiet
2. Resentment in hearts from followers of such a popular party, most of whom are very young, will stay for good
3. This will not augur well for the country's future.
 
Think you didn't read my post properly.

You saw Altaf and PPP and went off in some direction.

I have no sympathy for Altaf in the same way I feel that the people responsible for burning Karachi, ie the PPP leadership should be sitting with the current defendents in the military courts today.

What he is saying, if you had listened and I will summarise to help you out.

1. People will be put in jails etc now and go quiet
2. Resentment in hearts from followers of such a popular party, most of whom are very young, will stay for good
3. This will not augur well for the country's future.

resentment for army does not last. If it did than Hamid GUl would not had been a hero of the nation and Asim Bajwa would not had been successful in painting the army as the savior.

The armys image will be clean when they support another populist
 
MQM founder Altaf Hussain secures legal victory against MQM-P

The UK Court of Appeal has ordered the MQM-Pakistan (MQM-P) to pay MQM founder Altaf Hussain £65,000 (approximately Rs23.3 million) in legal costs, Geo News reported.

The ruling comes after a unanimous decision by a three-judge panel at the Court of Appeal’s Civil Division, which accepted Hussain’s appeal and overturned an earlier decision that had favored the MQM-P leaders.

The court has also permitted the release of £77,760 into Hussain’s lawyer’s account, which he was previously asked to deposit after a single bench judge had ruled against him.

It is common practice for courts to order the losing party to pay costs to the claimants or winning party, especially when the defendant opposes requests or applications.

MQM-P spokesperson Mustafa Azizabadi stated that Hussain would soon be launching a claim of over £100,000 against the MQM-P for the legal costs incurred during the initial stage of the trial before the insolvency and companies Judge.

MQM-P leader and the claimant in the case, Syed Aminul Haque, has confirmed that he would instruct his London-based lawyer to comply with the court orders.

The legal battle stems from the 2016 defection of MQM-P leaders from Altaf Hussain, who has been living in self-imposed exile in the UK since the early 2000s.

Last year, the MQM-P had triumphed over Hussain when the court said that seven London properties valued at about GBP10 million were the possession of the MQM-P. The party was declared to be the beneficiaries of the trusts and therefore of the properties.


AAJ News
 

Altaf Hussain lambasts SS and AZ in particular , sympathizes with Aleema Khan for fighting IK's cause.
 
mamooli qeeray makoray

A popular phrase in karachi back in the day. To describe this terrorist group.

Bhayaas should have stayed back in bihar and UP. In their abao ajdad ki havelian.
 
MQM founder Altaf Hussain hospitalised in London

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain has been admitted to a hospital in North London after experiencing multiple health issues, including cardiac-related stress.

Hussain’s party officials told Geo News that Hussain was taken to the hospital on Thursday due to severe illness, where various tests were conducted.

“The doctors decided to admit him to the hospital for further treatment,” said senior London-based MQM leader Mustafa Azizabadi.

Qasim Ali Raza, Deputy Convener MQM Central Coordination Committee said on Friday: “Today, doctors at a local hospital in London examined Mr Altaf Hussain, prescribed various diagnostic tests including blood tests, ECG, CT scan, X-ray and ultrasound.

Mr Altaf Hussain has long been suffering from severe emotional stress. Doctors also recommended a blood transfusion for his treatment and blood has been transfused.

Source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1327812-mqm-founder-altaf-hussain-hospitalised-in-london
 
MQM founder Altaf Hussain hospitalised again in London

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain was hospitalised again in London on Friday after falling ill.

In a post on the party’s X account, it said: “The health of MQM founder and leader Altaf Hussain has deteriorated again, after which he has been taken to a local hospital. According to details released by the MQM Central Information Department, on Friday, Altaf Hussain’s health worsened again.

“Immediate medical attention was sought, and an ambulance was called. The doctor promptly dispatched a medical emergency team. The emergency team initially examined Altaf Hussain at his residence, after which he was shifted to a local hospital for further examination and treatment.”

The MQM Coordination Committee appealed to all workers and the public to pray for his recovery.

MQM London-based senior party leader Mustafa Azizabadi also confirmed the development on a post on X.

Hussain was hospitalised in London last month due to “severe illness”, where he underwent multiple tests.

Previously known as the Mohajir Qaumi Movement, Hussain founded his party in 1984 to represent the Urdu-speaking community, which had migrated to Pakistan amid Partition.

Under Hussain’s leadership, MQM swept the 1988 election in Sindh’s urban areas, emerging as the third-largest party in the country.

The MQM under Hussain was accused of using violent tactics to attain and retain political power. On the contrary, Hussain maintained that the state and other political parties have targeted MQM and its workers ever since its formation.

Hussain currently lives in London, where he has been in self-imposed exile since 1992. He was later granted British citizenship. From London, Hussain played an active role in politics, regularly broadcasting political speeches to his followers in Karachi.

He was in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Britain, apparently after contracting Covid-19 in February 2021.

Hussain was born on September 17, 1953, in Karachi. He obtained his early education at a public school in Karachi’s Azizabad neighbourhood, a middle-class locality in Karachi where he spent his early years and his youth. He later enrolled at the University of Karachi to study Pharmacy and graduated from the programme in 1979.

His political career began during his student years in KU when he and Azeem Ahmed Tariq founded the All-Pakistan Mohajir Students Organisation (APMSO).

Formed in 1978, APMSO gained a massive following within a short period of time.

In the early 1990s, the MQM chief went into exile as the government at the time conducted an operation in Karachi.

Viewed as the man who controlled Karachi from London, Hussain came under fire in May 2013 for his televised speech across Pakistan, where he allegedly demanded the separation of Karachi from the rest of Pakistan if the public mandate of his party was not acceptable to the ‘establishment’. The party later clarified, saying it was taken out of context.

However, the final undoing of the MQM, as it was known, came after Hussain delivered an incendiary speech in August 2016 in which he not only raised slogans against Pakistan but also called the country “a cancer for the entire world”. Hours after the speech, MQM workers had attacked the ARY News office in Karachi.

Authorities launched a crackdown following the speech and the MQM’s Karachi headquarters and Hussain’s residence in Azizabad were sealed. Later, Hussain’s own party leaders in Pakistan distanced themselves from him and omitted his name from the party constitution.

In October 2019, Hussain was charged with “encouraging terrorism” by British police over his speech. He was also arrested in the case earlier in 2019 but was released on bail.

After deliberations that spanned three days, a 12-member jury had returned a majority verdict in Rex (crown) versus Altaf Hussain in February 2022, acquitting the MQM founder on two counts of ‘encouraging terrorism’.

The jury found Hussain not guilty on both counts of encouraging terrorism, contrary to section 1(2) of the UK’s Terrorism Act 2006.

 

MQM activist sentenced to 8 years in US prison for Karachi terrorism plot​

LONDON/TEXAS: A leading activist of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has been sentenced to eight years in prison for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas after pleading guilty to false statements in relation to international terrorism in Karachi.

Kahkashan Haider Khan, 54, pleaded guilty to false statements in relation to international terrorism directed in Karachi and was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison by US District Judge Amos, L Mazzant, announced Acting US Attorney Jay R. Combs.

The court was told that on February 23, 2023, Khan was interviewed by special agents from the FBI regarding her involvement in the planned fire-bombing of two gas stations in Karachi.

Khan - a US citizen and immigrant from Karachi who started as an activist in the MQM and moved to the US in early 90s - served as a recruiter and facilitator of terrorist actions in Pakistan by collecting funds, sending them to Pakistan, and arranging and paying for violent actions in Pakistan.

In January 2023, Khan recruited an individual in Pakistan to conduct fire-bombings on two Punjabi-owned gas stations in Karachi Pakistan. Khan discussed multiple aspects of the plan with her co-conspirator in Pakistan, including selecting the target locations, discussing which flammable accelerants to use, where to stage before the attacks, how to escape after the attacks, and arranged for the purchase of two firearms to be used by the attackers to ensure their success. Khan collected money from MQM sympathizers in the United States and wired the funds to Pakistan to pay for the attacks, the court was told.

On February 20, 2023, Khan’s co-conspirator in Pakistan sent Khan photos from news coverage of a fire-bombing of a Karachi, Pakistan gas station caused by attackers throwing something from a vehicle, resulting in six people being burned. Khan celebrated the news and told her Pakistani co-conspirator that he would be greatly rewarded for his work. Throughout that day, February 20, 2023, Khan scoured the internet for news in Pakistan regarding the fire-bombing but could find none. After approximately one day of searching, she discovered that the photos her co-conspirator sent were from an event that occurred in October of 2022. Khan was furious and accused her co-conspirator of deceit and being a disgrace to the MQM movement, the court was told.

On February 23, 2024, FBI special agents interviewed Khan at her home about these events. During the interview, Khan made multiple false statements about the events and lied about her involvement in the attempted attacks. Khan denied that she wanted a co-conspirator to commit the fire-bombings in Pakistan. During her plea hearing, Khan admitted that these were false statements made knowing that the statements were material to a terrorism investigation.

“We will not allow the United States to be a launching point for terrorist attacks abroad,” said Acting US Attorney Jay R Combs. “Vigilantly protecting the United States and its interests is inherent in everything we do. This includes aggressively prosecuting those who wrongly believe that they can find safe harbor in the United States while plotting crimes elsewhere. The FBI will aggressively investigate individuals planning or taking part in acts of violence in support of terrorism. We take these crimes seriously and will work with our international partners to hold perpetrators accountable,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.

Kahkashan's brother was also a die-hard member of the MQM and committed suicide a few years back. When visiting London, she always met the MQM founder Altaf Hussain. There is no suggestion that Altaf or MQM-London had any role in her actions as the US court didn’t discuss any such thing.

However, in March 2021, Karachi’s renowned and respected intelligence police officer Omar Shahid Hamid announced that Kahkashan Haider was part of the “Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London” and been discovered plotting the assassination of various personalities to trigger sectarian violence and spread chaos in the metropolis.

“The MQM-London’s Coordination Committee member Kahkashan Haider has established target killers’ groups in collaboration with India’s RAW and anti-Pakistan Sindhi and Baloch groups to target law enforcement agencies, police, political and religious leaders in Pakistan, particularly in Karachi,” said CTD DIG Omar Shahid Hamid.

The counter-terror force chief said Ms Haider, based in Texas, US, since the 1990s, had remained a close aide of MQM founder Altaf and that both the CTD and Rangers obtained some “concrete evidence” after interrogation of recently held alleged hitmen affiliated with the MQM-L who were arrested in Sindh, particularly in Karachi. Those held suspects have revealed that under directions of MQM-L chief Altaf target killing teams had been “re-established”.

MQM-London’s Mustafa Azizabadi said in a statement to Geo News: “Kahkashan Haider was removed from the MQM in 2019 for violating the party discipline and for being involved in activities against the party interest. Her basic membership of the MQM was revoked, we have no relation with her words and actions.”

Source: GEO
 
Back
Top