Internal rifts laid bare MQM’s money laundering operations

By
Mian Abrar
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6
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  • Sources say MQM leaders Anwar and Tariq Mir had accused Salim Shehzad of misappropriating MQM funds during ‘cleaning operations’ at London casinos

 

Internal rifts between senior leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) over financial issues had resulted in the Scotland Yard raid on the party’s International Secretariat in the British capital, sources within the party told Pakistan Today.

According to sources, rifts between key leaders of the party living in London developed when senior leaders Mohammad Anwar and his brother-in-law Tariq Mir started questioning alleged misappropriation in the party’s accounts by MQM leader Salim Shehzad, who is considered very close to the party chief Altaf Hussain.

“Salim Shehzad is a chronic gambler and was a frequent visitor to casinos in London. Since gambling has been used internationally to convert black money into white, Anwar and Tariq Mir believed that Shehzad might attract attention of British authorities. They also suspected Shehzad was misappropriating the party’s funds that had been entrusted to him for ‘cleaning’ purposes,” said the source.

“Mohammad Anwar and Tariq Mir blamed Salim Shehzad for losing MQM’s money in gambling and we think that this internal feud prompted Salim Shehzad to leak the information to London authorities regarding MQM’s money laundering operations to settle his personal score with the two men,” said the source.

The source said that upon realising that Salim Shehzad was creating problems for the party, MQM chief Altaf Hussain directed him to leave London immediately and asked a MQM-linked businessmen in Dubai to help Shehzad and his wife settle there.”But by that time the damage had already been done and British authorities raided the MQM’s London Secretariat. Moreover, the Indian links of Mohammad Anwar and his admission of Indian funding opened floodgates of suspicion about MQM’s mysterious funding sources,” the source added.

Meanwhile, MQM spokesperson Wasay Jalil told Pakistan Today from London that reports of rifts between Salim Shehzad and Muhammad Anwar over money matters was propaganda to dent the party’s popularity and demoralize its cadres.

“This is a joke, rather a new propaganda. We reject it vehemently,” the MQM leader said, adding that the party had never suspected Salim Shehzad of conniving with the British authorities.

A government official, meanwhile, said that the British authorities were yet to make progress in the case investigations.

“The Pakistani government is pressing the British authorities to speed up the investigations into the money laundering case because it could help in revealing India’s sponsorship of cross-border terrorism,” said a spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior.

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6 COMMENTS

  1. MQm 's internal rift has led it into this quagmire. It will not come out of this trouble unless its leadership stop denying the facts. M Anwar is the Key figure in the Money Laundering matter. Altaf will be crucified by its own comrades.

    • The situation is becoming a international issue now ,& MQM will have to face many hardships in the future ,as the law enforcement agencies have areason to investigate the members of the party. Now, the workers facing rangers will not risk their life ,so the party will have to chose the new leader or face the same old fate as other pakistani political parties are facing, and until the party is not able to come out clean about Indian funding & proxy war by India ,the party will not be able to function well in Pakistan. (raja habib jalib chairman J&KHRCIW)

  3. Mr Mian Abrar what a journalism u r a Lifafa journalist if u have a proof then come any TV Chanel and face to u I will show u a documents which shows how the man I am so shut your mouth otherwise I will write a Coloumn to open your dirty face

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