MP asks British govt why no action has yet been taken against MQM chief

LONDON: A British Member of Parliament called on the British Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary on Thursday asking for an explanation on why the UK government has taken no action as yet against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain to date.

In a letter, MP Khalid Mahmood, who is also the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Tackling Terrorism, draws the British Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson's attention to the comments made by the exiled MQM leader made live from London to his followers at a rally in Karachi, where he reportedly described Pakistan as "a cancer" and "the epicentre of terrorism".

The letter says attacks were subsequently made on two television stations in Pakistan after the provocative comments by Altaf Hussain, who has been exiled in the United Kingdom for over twenty years.

"I strongly believe that British citizens should not be using the United Kingdom as a political base to incite violence against countries that the UK is allied with, such as Pakistan.

"Can you please explain to me why the British Government has taken no action to date against Mr Hussain?" asks MP Khalid Mahmood in the letter.