UK Home Secretary to look into MQM related police inquiries

LONDON: British Home Secretary Amber Rudd has promised that she will “look into” the various matters surrounding the investigations related to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Britain and will provide answers.

The Home Secretary made this promise during a meeting of the Home Affairs Select Committee while answering questions of the parliamentarians who sit in the Home Affairs Select Committee.

British Pakistani Member of Parliament for Bradford West Naz Shah asked the Home Secretary strong questions about the recent closure of the money laundering case linked to the MQM-London leader Altaf Hussain and others, Dr Imran Farooq’s unresolved murder case and the incitement to violence speech by the MQM leader from London into Pakistan on 22nd August last year.

Naz Shah MP asked the Home Secretary: “It’s been six years since the murder of Dr Imran Farooq on the streets of London, and there has been no conviction or prosecution in relation to that. Are you aware of that and how Pakistan and Great Britain are working together? On 22nd of August 2016 leader of the MQM made a speech from London and incited extreme violence on the streets of Karachi in which members of the public were killed.”

She told the Home Secretary that in the past Altaf Hussain has used terminology suggesting that heads of police officers are pulled off.

Scotland Yard says that it's investigating that hate speech matter but Naz Shah asked the Home Secretary if she was aware of the inquiry and why was it taking so long in the case and why there has been no charging decision or otherwise.

The Home secretary replied that she shared concern of Naz Shah MP, who is a member of the powerful Home Affairs Select Committee, and that “I will get on it immediately and come back to you as soon as possible”.

The Home Secretary said that she didn’t have information as Naz Shah asked questions of her during the meeting and no written questions were provided. Naz Shah MP said that she will be providing full list of questions to the Home secretary to assist her in her inquiry.

Speaking to Geo News, the Bradford MP said that Dr Farooq was killed on the streets of London and a very negative message about the law and order situation went out. She said that Dr Farooq’s widow Shumaila Imran Farooq and sons Alishaan and Wejdaan deserve answers and justice and sadly their wait goes on while no justice is in sight.

The MP raised questions about the Scotland Yard’s performance in this matter and said it was not good that the progress has not been made.

She told Geo News that the police have been saying for over a year that’s it's investigating a few lines of the incitement speeches by Altaf Hussain but strangely no decision has been made yet. She said the police must answer these questions now that the Home Secretary will ask questions to the police about these cases.