LONDON: Altaf Hussain, the London-based chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), was arrested by the British police here on Tuesday on suspicion of money-laundering.

He was arrested in northwest London where he has been living in self-imposed exile since 1992.

Police said a 60-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of money-laundering during a morning raid at a residential address but declined to confirm his identity. Officers were searching the building, they said.

A spokesman said the man was escorted to a pre-arranged hospital appointment during the day and remained in custody late on Tuesday.

An MQM leader at the party headquarters in London confirmed that Mr Hussain had been arrested at his home in the morning as part of an ongoing investigation and said he was happy to help police with their inquiries.

“While these inquiries are taking place, the party leadership calls for calm from our millions of party members and supporters in Pakistan and across the world,” Nadeem Nusrat said in a statement. “The party is prepared to assist the British police with all of their enquiries as neither Mr Altaf Hussain nor the party have anything to hide.”

He said: “We appeal to all the workers to control your emotions.”

He said Mr Hussain had been feeling unwell and was about to go to a hospital for medical tests when detectives arrived at his home with a search warrant.

Police in Britain do not name suspects until they are charged. But when asked about Mr Hussain, the Metropolitan Police said a 60-year-old man had been detained at a residence in northwest London on Tuesday morning.

Mr Hussain gained British citizenship in 2002 after leaving Pakistan when a military operation was launched to end ethnic unrest in Karachi.

His residence in London was raided on suspicion of money-laundering in 2012 and 2013 by British police.

In 2010, Imran Farooq, one of MQM’s founding members and a confidant of Mr Hussain, was murdered in London.—Agencies

Our Staff Reporter in Karachi adds: The MQM said on Tuesday evening that Mr Hussain had been taken to a London hospital from a police station for medical check-up.

The MQM coordination committee said in a statement that Mr Hussain would remain in the hospital overnight and doctors would conduct a fasting blood test on Wednesday at around 11am GMT.

“The doctors will decide after looking at the fasting blood test report if Mr Hussain is medically fit to be interviewed by the police or not,” the statement claimed.

Mr Nusrat, the London-based party leader, had said while addressing a press conference in Karachi by phone earlier in the day that Mr Hussain was about to be taken to a hospital when the London Metropolitan Police raided his house and took him to a police station.

DawnNews quoted the Scotland Yard as saying that the investigation would continue for 24 hours.

Mr Hussain has been facing investigations on suspicion of money-laundering of at least 400,000 pounds, as well as for inciting violence and the case of Dr Farooq’s murder.

MQM leader Farooq Sattar had disclosed at a public meeting in Karachi last week that Mr Hussain’s bank accounts in London were being frozen.

A London-based journalist said that if proven guilty for committing a crime in the UK, a person would not be able to leave the country and would be prosecuted only in Great Britain.

Another journalist said it was possible that Mr Hussain might have been arrested only for a statement and he might be freed after 24 hours.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2014