London Police disown Mir ‘interview’ transcript, fresh document surfaces

• Contrary to London Met Police new document, spokesman Crockford claims ‘confessional interview’ of MQM leader Tariq Mir not its property, says police examining reports citing MQM’s links with India

While the London Metropolitan Police has disowned an alleged confessional statement by Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) senior leader Tariq Mir, saying “the document was not part of the police record”, a separate document of the London Police confirms the police having interviewed Mir three years ago in which he had ‘revealed’ the party’s Indian connection.

In a clarification via email, Alan Crockford of the London Metropolitan Police told BBC Urdu that documents suggesting a senior MQM leader had disclosed the party’s alleged links to India’s spy agency RAW during an interview with British authorities are not property of the London Metropolitan Police.

Crockford wrote that after carefully investigating the media reports in Pakistan pertaining to Tariq Mir’s confession, the police can confirm that no such documents are part of its record.

However, a purported London Police transcript being circulated in the social media of an interview of a MQM member, reveals that the Scotland Yard had interviewed Tariq Mir and another MQM leader Muhammad Anwar in 2012 “in relation to a separate investigation”.

Per the documented brief, carrying London Metropolitan Police’s mark, titled “Pre Interview Briefing” of Sarfaraz Anwar Merchant, dated April 15, 2015, conducted at Belgravia Police Station in presence of officers DC Stuart Mathews and DC Stephen Waterworth, “Interviews under caution were conducted with Tariq MIR and Mohammad ANWAR in 2012 in relation to a separate investigation. During the interviews both Mr MIR and Mr ANWAR stated that MQM was receiving funding from the Indian government.”

This April 2015 brief, which cites the presence of Mir’s confession with London Police, is primarily a pre-interview briefing of Merchant who was “arrested on December 5, 2013 on money laundering charges in relation to investigation being conducted into funds held or controlled by MQM”.

Furthermore, the document cites the case background as follows: “Large amounts of cash have been seized from premises associated with the MQM and a significant amount of assets have been identified in the United Kingdom. All of the cash and assets are believed to represent funds provided to MQM by the Indian government or other unlawful activity.”

“There is evidence that Mr HUSSAIN and members of the MQM have breached Pakistani Electoral legislation in as much as they have received ‘prohibited’ funds from the Indian government. This also constitutes breaches of criminal offenses under Pakistan and UK legislation thereby making the cash and assets criminal property,” the document adds.

WHAT LONDON POLICE DISOWNS:

On Friday, documents purported to be property of the London police surfaced on social media, suggesting that MQM’s Tariq Mir had confessed in an interview that his party had New Delhi’s support and that Altaf Hussain received funding from India.

In the purported testimony of MQM leader Mir, which were ‘leaded’ online, it had been alleged that the MQM had been receiving funds from the Indian government since 1994 with only four top leaders kept in the loop.

The alleged statement lends credence to the BBC report published on June 24 about two MQM leaders telling the British authorities about the MQM-RAW nexus.

“Mr H was getting money from India. H got his money from different sources [blocked text],” the document reads.

Mir allegedly spoke to London police at the Edgware police station in May 2012, the document says, adding that he “attended voluntarily and was not under arrest”.

“The Indian government supported us because they thought it was good to support us [blocked text]. I don’t remember when I first met the Indians. I did meet them,” it reads, quoting an individual TM, believed to be Mir.

Three pages of text, some of it censored with what appears to be black ink, sent shockwaves across the country just days after a startling BBC report had made similar allegations citing an “authoritative Pakistani source.”

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had directed the Interior Ministry to thoroughly investigate the claims made in the BBC report pertaining to the MQM receiving funding from India, and sought an early report in this regard.

Federal Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan had also held a meeting with British High Commissioner Philip Barton and has formally written to the UK government requesting Pakistani authorities’ access to key information in relation to the serious allegations leveled by the BBC against MQM.

The London Metropolitan Police spokesman could not be reached for a comment.