‘Political’ tour: Altaf eyes US visit as financial crunch bites

KARACHI: The chief of the London faction of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Altaf Hussain, who is facing a ‘severe’ financial crisis, is set to fly to the Unites States soon after the elections there, Nadeem Nusrat, the party’s second-in-command, told The Express Tribune.

Nadeem Nusrat, however, did not clarify how and when Altaf Hussain would go to the US.



The visit, referred to as a ‘political’ tour, is expected to last as long as three weeks during which Hussain is expected to hold meetings with ‘important government officials’, representatives of think tanks, besides delivering lectures at various universities.

He is virtually banned from conducting politics in the country. Authorities are persistently moving against his party. His once-close ‘lieutenants’ have dissociated themselves from him. He is wanted in a number of cases, in Pakistan, ranging from murder to sedition. And his accounts are running out of money.

A source in the MQM-London said that the visit is planned to gain US support and apply indirect pressure on Pakistan government, urging them to end the ongoing crackdown against party workers loyal to his faction.

“[Hussain] has been receiving invitations from America for quite some time. Party workers (over there) wanted him to visit by the end of this year. The plan has, however, been delayed,” said Nusrat, who returned to London from the US on Saturday afternoon.

Asked if the MQM chief was medically fit to go on such a flight the party convener said that he was fine and fit to travel.

Nusrat agreed that the party leaders in London had been facing a financial crunch over the past two-and-a-half-year period and the situation worsened over the past few months. Funds routed from Pakistan have completely dried, leaving them with no option but to seek funds from their comrades living in other countries.

According to MQM insiders, the party followed a rigid fund raising regime. But, all channels for routing money to London have been shut down.

Analysts believe that the August 23 decision of Farooq Sattar to divorce the entire London leadership had hurt Hussain. “He feels isolated. The Pakistan leadership, including those who got elected to assemblies on the party tickets doled out by him, stopped supporting him,” said Nadeem Nusrat.

Altaf Hussain apologises to army chief after anti-Pakistan speech

Although the MQM-London tried to re-enter mainstream politics with a new left-leaning team, spearheaded by Dr Hasan Zafar Arif, Momin Khan Momin and Amjadullah Khan, the authorities thwarted their collective attempt to take off the party by sending them all to jail.

The London leadership is still in contact with “people in Karachi”, maintained Nusrat.

Workers, he said, were being told to maintain a ‘low-profile’ until the situation improved.

According to one party source, Nadeem Nusrat has consistently been communicating to party workers loyal to Hussain to hold steadfast “until Altaf Hussain travels to the US”.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2016.