Altaf defiant in face of ‘conspiracies’

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) will remain steadfast in the face of latest international conspiracies against the party, MQM chief Altaf Hussain said on Friday.
Hussain made this statement in response to the recent probe going on in London against him. The investigations are reportedly related to allegations of money-laundering, murder of Dr Imran Farooq and incitement of violence through hate speech.
The MQM chief said he would not disappoint his workers, adding such conspiracies were also hatched in the past but nothing was proved. Hussain said anti-MQM elements would soon face disappointment.
MQM BIGGEST HURDLE: In Karachi, MQM Deputy Convener Dr Farooq Sattar said his party was the only one standing against Talibanisation in Pakistan, which was why it was being targeted.
Talking to reporters after returning from London, Sattar said no allegations against the MQM had been proven in court, adding that the party was subjected to several terrorist attacks during its election campaigning. “At least 80 MQM workers were martyred,” he said.
According to Sattar, the international media was being used against the MQM and he had met officials of the BBC and informed them that they were being misled.
A recently televised episode of ‘Newsnight’ on BBC Two claimed that 400,000 pound sterling were recovered by the London police during raids at the MQM office and Altaf Hussain’s residence on December 6, 2012 and June 18, 2013.
The programme further alleged that the MQM chief had made threatening statements from London to trigger violence in Karachi.
When Sattar was interviewed on Newsnight, he admitted that money had been recovered but did not say how much.