MQM party chief Altaf Hussain faces financial crisis, unable to pay utility bills in London

Tariq Butt, Correspondent 

Pakistan’s Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Altaf Hussain has claimed that he is facing financial ruins and unable to pay bills and expenditures — three weeks after the London High Court’s Deputy High Court Judge Peter Knox issued freezing orders on the six properties controlled by him, said a report.

This followed an application for takeover of these properties by the MQM-Pakistan. Hussain’s aide Mustafa Azizabadi has issued a letter of Hussain from MQM-London’s official Twitter account appealing for funds and claiming that the financial situation has worsened.

The letter claimed that Hussain had come under serious financial stress after the event of Aug.22, 2016 when he raised slogans against the unity of Pakistan and his party effectively sacked him. It said that he has sold two properties since Aug.22, 2016 to run affairs of the party to look after the families of martyrs and to pay for the costs of running MQM operations.

He further claimed that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has started legal cases against him in Britain "which has caused huge financial strains” on the resources. It can be confirmed that the cases against Hussain have been initiated by his former colleagues in London and from Karachi and none of these cases has anything to do with any Pakistani agency.

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Hussain said in the letter: "I have not enough money to pay the council tax, gas and electricity bills and other expenditures due to financial issues. I request you to consider offering your financial support to help the movement.”

Mustafa Azizabadi further tweeted that the MQM is "in extreme financial crisis, please help the party.” He added he was writing with a broken heart that the leader who "personally distributed millions and billions amongst the party workers and got his followers to become lawmakers, ministers, advisers and mayors, who became billionaires but the same leader is today asking for financial help.”

Exactly a year ago in November last year, Hussain had requested Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for help by giving asylum and financial help to him and his companions. In a speech watched online by thousands of people, the MQM leader had said he would like to travel to India because his grandfathers are buried there.