Altaf Hussain asks India's Modi for asylum, financial aid

MQM founder delivers first speech after UK police relax bail conditions

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain has requested Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to grant him and his supporters asylum and financial aid.

Altaf has been charged with a terrorism offence by the UK's Crown Prosecution Services for his incendiary speech to party supporters in Pakistan back in 2016, Khaleej Times reported.

He is due to stand trial in June 2020 and his passport remains with the UK police as part of his bail conditions and he is not allowed to apply for any travel document unless permitted by the court.

MQM founder Altaf Hussain arrested in London

Lawyers were now assessing whether Hussain has breached his bail conditions by asking Modi to let him stay in India while he awaits trial.

In his first public speech after the UK police relaxed his bail conditions, Altaf said he would like to travel to India because his grandparents are buried there.

"If India's Prime Minister Modi allows me to come to India and provides me asylum with my colleagues, I am ready to come to India along with my colleagues because my grandfather is buried there. My grandmother is buried there and thousands of my relatives are buried there in India. I want to go to India to their graves."

Addressing Modi, Hussain alleged that his assets, house and offices were taken over in Karachi after August 22, 2017.

He asked the Indian Prime Minister to help him financially if he could not provide asylum.