Altaf Hussain puts MQM's London office on sale for £1,000,000

LONDON: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder and leader Altaf Hussain has put the MQM’s iconic International Secretariat on sale for £1,000,000. 

The move comes ahead of his trial at the Old Bailey later this year on charges related to incitement of terrorism.

Through two local estate agents in the area of Edgware, the MQM supremo is desperately trying to sell an entire office floor with parking space for 6 cars for an asking price of £1,000,000. 

However, he has not received an offer in over two months.

This correspondent visited the property after making an appointment with the local estate agent, who is marketing the office for sale. It is understood that the MQM leader wants to raise funds to fund his expensive defence at the Old Bailey in about four months. 

Also read: Imran Farooq’s widow confirms meeting alleged killers of her husband

'Hussain will have to reduce price'

The estate agent is asking interested buyers to pick up the deal as it is on a walking distance to Edgware Underground Station (Northern Line) and has a passenger lift, a manned reception and air conditioning.

The marketing brochure says: “The first floor of Elizabeth House is available to purchase and would suit owner occupiers and investors looking to modernise the space. The floor is arranged with a reception area leading into a large office space and a number of private offices, meeting rooms and store rooms with the benefit of a large kitchen / break out room.”

The office has been on sale for several weeks now. More than a dozen interested buyers have visited the property but so far, the MQM leader has not received any offer.

Also read: Altaf Hussain to stand terror trial starting June 1, 2020

"Altaf Hussain will have to reduce the price by £50,000-£100,000 if he’s serious in selling the property. The property market is down at the moment and there are not many buyers for expensive properties. This property is in a great location," a source told Geo News. 

The MQM-London’s office bearers have moved to a house on Whitchurch Lane, where they are operating from a three bedroom. 

MQM-London’s operations are now reduced to just about five full time staff members, including Mustafa Azizabadi, Qasim Ali Raza, Adil Ghaffar Advocate, Sufyan Yusuf and Tariq Javed.

Why is the office so important?

The MQM’s International office has a great emotional and political value for the party's followers. 

It is from here that Hussain ruled Karachi for nearly two decades with an iron fist, using three rooms and two telephone lines. It is in the same Elizabeth House which has housed dozens of MQM leaders who have since either formed PSP under Mustafa Kamal, joined the PTI govt under the banner of MQM-Pakistan, gone silent or chosen a path separate from the MQM supremo. 

Also read: Imran Farooq case: Man tells court about interaction with murder suspects

All of them used this office, waited at this place for days and months to get a glimpse of Altaf Hussain or a hand shake and picture with him or to catch his eye. It’s the same place that used to be manned like a fiefdom for years as MQM officials enforced strict discipline at colleagues in the UK and also in Pakistan.

It is from this place that Altaf Hussain used to bring Karachi to a standstill with one phone call; and, from Musharraf to the PPP government, all would queue at this place to get on his right side. 

That power, allure and hold is no more. Altaf Hussain has moved out and the MQM’s once nerve centre is now up for sale.

Also read: MQM founder Altaf Hussain arrested in London

Terror trial

Altaf Hussain will go on trial at the Old Bailey on 1st June, 2020 in the terrorism case brought against him by the Crown Prosecution Service's Counter Terrorism Division related to an inciteful speech made in August 2016 from London to Karachi.

Hussain, 66, who lives in Mill Hill, north London, has been charged under the Terrorism Act 2006. He has been charged for Intentionally Encouraging or Assisting Offences, Contrary to Section 44 of the Serious Crime Act 2007 in relation in relation to his August 16, 2016 speech from London and the violence that followed in Karachi because of that speech.