Friday, June 26, 2015

Leaked London Police Transcripts of MQM Leaders' Interrogation on Indian RAW Funds

After the BBC report by Owen Bennett Jones on Indian RAW funding of Pakistan's Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) led by Altaf Hussain living in self-exile in London, some of the transcripts of the London Police interrogations of MQM leaders Tariq Meer and Mohammad Anwar have been leaked.

What began as murder investigation after the London killing of former MQM leader Imran Farooq later expanded to include money laundering after the discovery of several hundred thousand British Pounds in cash at MQM chief Altaf Husain's residence.  It was this turn of events that led to interrogation of Mr. Tariq Mir, the MQM party finance manager in the UK.

The leaked contents are about Tariq Mir's interrogation that occurred at Edgware Police Station in London  on May 30, 2012. It refers to a prior interview with Mohammad Anwar, a close confidant of MQM Chief Altaf Husain. Here are some of the key revelations made by Tariq Mir:

1. "Mr. H (Altaf Husain) was getting money from India, H (Altaf Husain) got his money from difference (sic) sources".

2. "The Indian government funded us because they though it was good to support us...I do not remember when I first met with Indians. I did meet them."

3. "First meeting (with the Indians) was in Vienna (Austria) or Rome (Italy). (Muhammad) Anwar and (Hussein?) were present. We had three or four meetings, one was definitely in Rome, one in Vienna, one in Zurich (Switzerland), one in a small city in Austria (Saltsburg); and a meeting in Prague".

4. "Meetings (with the Indians) were held whenever they wanted to meet; the purpose of the meetings was to get to know one another; I believe their names were not the real names, they never gave their identities and ranks. They were from the Indian Intelligence (RAW) as I understood. Research and Analysis Wing. The senior man was high up and had access to senior/prime minister level... I do not remember how much we asked for but I think about $1.5 million...I do not know how much they gave us but it went to Hussein. At some stage our expense (of the Secretariat) were about 100,000 pounds per month. I was aware of aware of a significant increase in funding as a result of the Indian connection "

5. "All the money used to go to Mr. H (Altaf Husain). Or a third thing (source of funds) may have been money or a cheque which is paid to Mr. H. (Altaf Husain). The money would either be transferred to Mr. H. by Hoowala(?). I do not know for sure who facilitated getting the money to Mr. H. It could have come via Mr. (Mohammad) Anwar, because apart from me, Anwar abd Dr. F. (Dr. Imran Farooq) and Anwar knew about the money. No one but the four of us knew about it. So as far as I know, no one else in the party, part from Mr. Anwar, had the money. No one but the four of us knew about it. We did not want it to come out that MQM was receiving (money) from Indians.  It was very secret."

6. "About 800, 000 British Pounds came to MQM" annually via couriers in tranches of less than 10,000 pounds to circumvent the 10,000 pounds cash limit.

7. MQM "sought money from all over. The Indians approached us --questions were asked about people without passports".

8. "In 1995-96, I (Tariq Mir) took over the finances from (Nadeem) Nusrat....that money was coming from India. Mr. (Altaf) Hussein knew about "


Here are some of the images with parts  expunged:














Related Links:

Haq's Musings

Gangs of Karachi

Gangster Politicians of Karachi

Ex-Indian Spy Documents RAW's Successes in Pakistan

Karachi Bus Attack Arrests; Axact Scandal; Zulfiqar Mirza Vs Zardari; RAW in Pakistan

16 comments:

Shams said...

The so-called BBC report on Indian money for MQM introduces the allegations as follows "the BBC has learnt from authoritative sources in Pakistan that the senior members of MQM have received money from India." It goes on to say that "Senior officers of police in Karachi have said that two members of MQM have told them that they received training in India".


do some homework, do not publish sh--.

Riaz Haq said...

Shams,

I suggest your hero Altaf and his MQM sue BBC for libel in a British court. Libel laws in UK are very strong and MQM should use those laws to seek a retraction, apology and damages

Shams said...

Libel laws in UK or USA do not work against news media. First, neithe country permits forcing a journalist to disclose his source, so the journalist may be fabricating the truth and yet nothing can hold him liable. In cases over cases, both in the UK and the US the news media and tabloids publish nude pictures of royalty and George Bush's daughters, and yet no catch.

Riaz Haq said...

Shams: "Libel laws in UK or USA do not work against news media. First, neithe country permits forcing a journalist to disclose his source, so the journalist may be fabricating the truth and yet nothing can hold him liable."

UK libel laws do work against news media...that's one big difference between US and UK.

Here's an example: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/dec/02/Iraqandthemedia.politicsandthemedia

Mayraj said...

Muttahida Qaumi Movement, MQM (Altaf Hussain) has a hidden militant wing which is trained by RAW officials in India. Watch "Confession of Muhammad Ajmal Siddiqi aka Ajmal Pahari". Ajmal Pahari from Orangi Town, joined MQM in 1986 and worked in unit 101/30. He was right hand of Nadeem Nusrat who is a london based MQM activist. Pahari went to Delhi 4 gettin MILITANT TRAINING and was given training of AK47, MP5, MP3, G-3 and explosives by RAW in a JUNGLE near Delhi.

https://www.facebook.com/194761717332819/videos/274733595988590/
Proof of MQM's Militant Terrorist Wing supported by RAW

Anonymous said...

Express Tribune:

MQM’s Rabita Committee terming the documents as ‘fabricated’ said it was part of an ongoing media trial against the party.

“These statements claimed to be Mir’s are part of an ongoing media trial against the party,” the Rabita Committee said, according to Express News.

However, late last night, MQM spokesperson Wasay Jalil had said, “We are aware of some documents circulating online that claim to be transcripts from an interview with an MQM official; we have nothing to add at this time.”

Earlier this week, a BBC report claimed the MQM had received financial and logistical support from India. Citing an ‘authoritative’ Pakistani source, the report by Owen Bennett-Jones claimed that senior MQM officials, in formal recorded interviews, admitted before British authorities that the party has been receiving funds from the Indian government.

Quoting a Pakistani official, it said India had trained hundreds of MQM militants in explosives, weapons and sabotage over the last 10 years in camps in north and north-east India. “Before 2005-2006, the training was given to a small number of mid-ranking members of the MQM,” the official was quoted as saying. More recently greater numbers of more junior party members have been trained, the report added.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/910644/indian-funding-report-mqm-leaders-statement-to-london-police-leaked/

Riaz Haq said...

BBC report said RAW financed MQM and trained its cadre.

The Pakistan government has requested Britain for assistance in establishing whether India has funded and trained cadre of the Pakistan opposition party, the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM).

“The British High Commission, Pakistan, has received a formal request from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan, which will be sent to the relevant U.K. authorities,” a spokesperson from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed to The Hindu.

A recent BBC report quoted a “Pakistani source” as saying that the Indian Intelligence agency RAW had financed the MQM and also trained its cadres at a camp in India’s northeast. India has denied the allegations.

The London-based leader of the MQM, Altaf Hussain, is already being investigated by the Metropolitan Police.

London-based leader of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM), Altaf Hussain, holds a U.K. passport. Under investigation by the Metropolitan Police for money laundering and possible involvement in the murder of Dr. Imran Farooq, an MQM official, he was arrested last year and released on bail soon after. The investigation here is continuing.

London police may probe new charges

To a question on whether the latest allegations of Indian funding and training would be part of the probe already under way, the spokesperson said it was “a matter for the Metropolitan Police,” that “take[s] all allegations of crime extremely seriously and will take appropriate action where there is evidence a crime has been committed.”

Pakistan’s Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in a press conference on Thursday said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had asked for a thorough probe into the alleged RAW-MQM link and that he was therefore “formally writing” to the U.K. government.

The Pakistan media reported that the Minister met the British High Commissioner to Pakistan Philip Barton on this issue.

He is reported to have stressed that it is the “responsibility” of Britain to cooperate with Pakistan in this matter.

MQM denies charges

Meanwhile, the London-based coordination committee of the MQM issued a strong denial. Calling itself a “peace-loving political party that believes in the unity and integrity of Pakistan,” it said “some anti-MQM elements ... bent on carrying out a media trial of the MQM by repeating the allegation again and again” were behind the story.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pakistan-seeks-uk-help-to-probe-mqmindia-link/article7359285.ece

Sohaib said...

So much for nuclear deterrence, the country has been completely infiltrated. R&AW, is all over Pakistan and doing what it wants. I don't know what the government, Military or the ISI is doing to protect the country or if that is even possible.

Riaz Haq said...

Tariq Mir, Mohammad Anwar of #MQM confessed #Indian #RAW funding; Geo News obtains Met Police document. #AltafHusain https://shar.es/1qelo5

Geo News has obtained a single page of another alleged document of London Metropolitan Police, in which MQM leaders Tariq Mir and Mohammad Anwar confessed of receiving Indian funding.

Sarfraz Merchant, a Karachi trader among six men being investigated by the British investigators for money-laundering with MQM, told Geo News early on Wednesday that he shared the document with two former MQM leaders.

Apparently, one of the two leaders leaked the document in the media, he said.

The document has come to the fore hours after the Met police disowned an alleged confessional statement by MQM senior leader Tariq Mir, saying the document was not part of police record.

The alleged document carries Merchant's pre-interview briefing by the Met Police and elaborates on what lines the investigative authority was probing the money-laundering allegations on MQM.

It also says the large amount of cash were confiscated from a building associated with MQM and a significant amount of assets identified in the UK.

“All or part of the cash and assets are believed to represent funds provided to MQM by the Indian government or other unlawful activity,” says the document.

“There is evidence that Mr Hussain and members of the MQM have breached Pakistani Electoral legislation in as much they have received ‘prohibited’ funds from the Indian government. This also constitutes breaches of criminal offences under Pakistan and UK legislation thereby making the cash and assets criminal property.”

“Interviews under caution were conducted with Tariq Mir and Mohammad Anwar in 2012 in relation to a separate investigation. During the interviews both Mr Mir and Mr Anwar stated that MQM was receiving funding from the Indian government.”

Riaz Haq said...

Tariq Mir, Mohammad Anwar of #MQM confessed #Indian #RAW funding; Geo News obtains Met Police document. #AltafHusain https://shar.es/1qelo5

Geo News has obtained a single page of another alleged document of London Metropolitan Police, in which MQM leaders Tariq Mir and Mohammad Anwar confessed of receiving Indian funding.

Sarfraz Merchant, a Karachi trader among six men being investigated by the British investigators for money-laundering with MQM, told Geo News early on Wednesday that he shared the document with two former MQM leaders.

Apparently, one of the two leaders leaked the document in the media, he said.

The document has come to the fore hours after the Met police disowned an alleged confessional statement by MQM senior leader Tariq Mir, saying the document was not part of police record.

The alleged document carries Merchant's pre-interview briefing by the Met Police and elaborates on what lines the investigative authority was probing the money-laundering allegations on MQM.

It also says the large amount of cash were confiscated from a building associated with MQM and a significant amount of assets identified in the UK.

“All or part of the cash and assets are believed to represent funds provided to MQM by the Indian government or other unlawful activity,” says the document.

“There is evidence that Mr Hussain and members of the MQM have breached Pakistani Electoral legislation in as much they have received ‘prohibited’ funds from the Indian government. This also constitutes breaches of criminal offences under Pakistan and UK legislation thereby making the cash and assets criminal property.”

“Interviews under caution were conducted with Tariq Mir and Mohammad Anwar in 2012 in relation to a separate investigation. During the interviews both Mr Mir and Mr Anwar stated that MQM was receiving funding from the Indian government.”

Anonymous said...

It was very obvious from the very start of this movement that it is not working for either national interest or the interest of Urdu speakers. So this news is just a confirmation of what most of us had suspected for a very long time.
Zamir

Riaz Haq said...

Scotland Yard says leaked #MQM-#India paper ‘genuine police document’ https://shar.es/1qlQi7 via @sharethis

LONDON: The Scotland Yard has confirmed that one of the two documents being circulated about the MQM related money-laundering investigation is a “genuine police document” however, the second one is “not recognised as a genuine police document”.

Speaking to Geo News, a spokesman for the Scotland Yard, when asked to comment to clarify or validate, said that one of the documents “appears to be a genuine police document and a second we do not recognise as a police document”. This correspondent understands that the police now officially own the document which has been released in reference to Sarfraz Merchant while disowns the document in circulation in relation to Tariq Mir.

Scotland Yard warned that the leakage of such documents could have a “possible prejudicial effect” on the “ongoing police investigation”. The spokesman further said: “We are not investigating a possible leak in relation to this matter and will not be drawn into discussing any further documents that may be given to the media by third parties.”

Meanwhile, officers from Scotland Yard’s Counter Terrorism Command Unit investigating the money-laundering case related to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) visited the residence of Karachi businessman Sarfraz Merchant to check his “welfare” after a paper linked with the inquiry was mysteriously released in media, causing media storm in Pakistan.

Sarfraz Merchant is currently being investigated by Scotland Yard for the money laundering case involving the MQM and other suspects, among others, include Altaf Hussain, Muhammad Anwar and Tariq Mir. On Tuesday, a “pre-interview briefing paper” was leaked on social media carrying the name of Sarfraz Merchant as the interviewee.

The paper, written by the police, stated that the MQM was being investigated for receiving funds from the Indian government for its operations and that its assets and cash might be criminal because of the alleged illegal origins. The document also confirmed that two senior MQM leaders had confirmed under oath that two senior MQM leaders had confessed under oath to the British police that they had received funds from the Indian government. The BBC had said the same thing in its report last week, stressing that the MQM was being investigated for accepting prohibited foreign funds the Indian authorities – believed to the country’s top spy agency called RAW.

Police sources confirmed that they had visited Mr Merchant to ask about his well-being and also about the leaked document. When contacted by The News, Sarfraz Merchant confirmed that the police officers were concerned about his safety and security and reviewed the security arrangements. He said: “I have told the police the truthabout the leak. I informed the police about the two men who may have leaked this information in the public domain.”

Sarfraz Merchant had earlier told Geo News that he had shared the document with two MQM linked men who are believed to have leaked it. He confirmed that the document was authentic but not released by him. He also shared his security concerns with the police. It’s understood that the police have stepped up security around the area where Sarfraz Merchant lives.

Sarfraz Merchant, along with Tariq Mir, was arrested in the first week of December 2013 by the Scotland Yard investigators from his central London home and remains on the police ban. He says he was made part of the investigation after making a loan payment of around half a million pounds to two MQM related bank accounts. He stresses that he had never been involved in money-laundering or any other illegal activity.

MQM says that it will not comment on any aspect of the investigation and will make its stance known to the police or to the jury if charges are brought. MQM says it’s fully cooperating with the police and will defend itself against all allegations.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-326709-Scotland-Yard-says-leaked-MQM-India-paper-genuine-police-document

Riaz Haq said...

#Pakistan gives UN files claiming that #India foments violence. #Terrorism http://wpo.st/_3de0

Lohdi told The Associated Press the dossiers include information about “India’s involvement and support to terrorism in different parts of Pakistan.”

One dossier relates to Pakistan’s tribal areas, another relates to Karachi, and the third to the southwestern region of Baluchistan, she said. “So the idea is to really go to the international community through the U.N. secretary-general and to expose the kind of destabilizing actions that India is taking against my country.”

Pakistan and India have a history of uneasy relations and they have fought two of their three wars over the disputed Kashmir region, which is claimed by both countries. Forces on both sides of the Line of Control, which divides Kashmir, have traded fire several times in recent weeks.

Lohdi cited the “escalating tensions in the region” as the reason Islamabad was taking this step. “We believe that these actions must stop,” she said, and she called for a return to dialogue. “We’re ready to go anywhere, at any level, to resume the dialogue process, but this dialogue cannot be on the basis of preconditions.”

She said India had not responded to her move, and she said her country was “disappointed” at the response that India’s foreign minister gave to Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Wednesday speech to the U.N. General Assembly — in which Pakistan offered a four-point peace initiative.

She called India’s response the following day “non-serious” and called on India, “Why don’t you put something on the table, too?”

She said Pakistan is in conversation with the U.N. about “how best to take this forward.”

Riaz Haq said...

#Pakistan’s #MQM party received funding from #India , claims ex-head of diplomatic wing Anwar. He says MQM has been receiving funds from the Indian government and he was asked by its leadership to coordinate with Indian contacts to receive it. GulfToday



https://www.gulftoday.ae/news/2020/06/21/pakistan-mqm-party-received-funding-from-indian--government-claims-former-head-of-diplomatic-wing


The former head of the diplomatic wing of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Coordination Committee member Muhammad Anwar has alleged that the party has been receiving funds from the Indian government and he was asked by its leadership to coordinate with Indian contacts to receive the funding.
He denied having anything to do with the murder of Dr Imran Farooq and said that it was Nadeem Nusrat who introduced him to an Indian diplomat in early 90’s. Nusrat, MQM’s former Coordination Committee member, now lives in Washington and runs his own organisation.

Speculations have also existed that the MQM received monies from India’s spy agency RAW (Research & Analysis Wing) but this is for the first time that a former senior office-bearer like Anwar has officially accused MQM of being involved with India’s spy agency over a period of time.

Anwar revealed in an exclusive interview with The News and Geo at his home in Edgware London that "it was sometime in the early 90’s when Nadeem Nusrat came to me and told me that he would like me to meet an Indian diplomat. He asked me to meet the Indian diplomat alone but I refused and told him that he should accompany too. It was at 7 o clock in the evening and it was raining heavily that day. Nadeem Nusrat, on my insistence, went with me to the meeting but stood outside the venue.”

Anwar said he told the Indian diplomat that he will discuss issues with him only in the presence of his senior, Nusrat. The Indian diplomat told Anwar he had instructions only to speak to him and not to anyone else. "I told him that I will not speak to him on my own. After making a call to someone and after about half an hour’s argument, he received permission and then Nusrat joined us too. This is how I got connected.”

Anwar said that it was never his decision to meet Indian diplomats and deal with them. "I confirm that I was obeying orders of the party. I was asked to do what I did and I was connected by MQM with the Indian contacts. I never had any vested interests. We were towing the party line on India.”'

Anwar said that his own colleagues in MQM — Pakistan and UK created a bad impression about him, projected him as the only bad person whereas the reality is that each and every person in the leadership position shared responsibilities and all decisions were taken in consultations with each other.

He said that the MQM-Pakistan leaders were projecting themselves today as holier than thou but he said that the Karachi based leadership was responsible for large-scale killings and destructions in the city. "The so-called civilised leaders that you see on TV these days were the ones who were always offering to Altaf Hussain to inform them who to maim, kill and burn. I am ready to share details with authorities about their deeds. Over the years, they have blamed me only to launder themselves as clean guys. That’s not the case.”

Last week, Anwar was named as absconder, with Altaf Hussain and Iftikhar Hussain, in the Dr Imran Farooq murder case by Islamabad’s Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC).

He said that the judgment quotes Khalid Shamim as saying that in 2005 he called Dr Imran from Dublin and spoke to them both over the speaker and in the same conversation, Anwar allegedly asked him to kill the slain MQM leader.

---
Anwar said the late Asma Jahangir called MQM’s office on May 12, 2007 and told the London office that MQM people were involved in killing innocent people and pleaded to the party leadership to stop the carnage in Karachi during Pervez Musharraf’s government.

Riaz Haq said...

The I.S.I. also reported that it caught sight of R.A.W. operating in Karachi, infiltrating the Mujahir Qaumi Movement (M.Q.M.), the political party founded by Muslims who migrated from India after Partition. In the 1990s, the M.Q.M. leadership, facing multiple murder and extortion allegations, fled into exile in the U.K. and South Africa. In both places the British security services and the R.A.W. went to work recruiting, including the R.A.W. chief Samant Kumar Goel, seen by the I.S.I. as the most aggressive and capable Indian conduit in the Karachi operation. A window into this world opened-up after a brutal murder in Edgware, in North London, in 2010. Dr Imran Farooq, 50, an M.Q.M. leader, was ambushed walking home, and repeatedly stabbed and bludgeoned with a brick. During the inquiry that followed Scotland Yard detectives were told in sworn witness statements that millions of dollars was delivered by the R.A.W. to the M.Q.M. via diplomatic missions in Vienna and Johannesburg.246 When India required chaos in Karachi, M.Q.M. was paid by Lodhi Road to make it happen in a mirror of B. Raman’s equivalence operations. •


Levy, Adrian. Spy Stories: Inside the Secret World of the RAW and the ISI (pp. 215-216). Kindle Edition.

Riaz Haq said...

How Pakistan’s Most Feared Power Broker Controlled a Violent Megacity From London


https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-10-01/altaf-hussain-how-a-feared-power-broker-controlled-karachi-from-london

Though he was born in Karachi in 1953, Hussain has always identified as a Mohajir—a term that refers to those, like his parents, who left India after partition. In Agra, about 140 miles south of Delhi, Hussain’s father had a prestigious job as a railway-station manager. In Karachi he could only find work in a textile mill, and then died when Hussain was just 13, leaving his 11 children dependent on Hussain’s brother’s civil-service salary as well as what their mother earned sewing clothes. Such downward mobility was common among Mohajirs, who were the target of discrimination by native residents of Sindh, the Pakistani state of which Karachi is the capital. Hussain was enraged by his community’s plight. He and a group of other Mohajir students founded the MQM in 1984, and Hussain gained a reputation for intense devotion to the cause. After one protest, when he was 26, he was jailed for nine months and given five lashes.

Religiously moderate and focused on reversing discriminatory measures, the MQM built a large following in Karachi, winning seats in the national and provincial parliaments. It didn’t hurt, according to UK diplomatic cables and two former Pakistani officials, that it received support from the military, which saw the party as a useful bulwark against other political factions. Although Hussain never stood for elected office, he was the inescapable face of the MQM, his portrait plastered all over the many areas it dominated.

From the beginning, the MQM’s operations went well beyond political organizing. As communal violence between ethnic Mohajirs, Sindhis, and Pashtuns worsened in the mid-1980s, Hussain urged his followers at a rally to “buy weapons and Kalashnikovs” for self-defense. “When they come to kill you,” he asked, “how will you protect yourselves?” The party set up weapons caches around Karachi, stocked with assault rifles for its large militant wing. Meanwhile, Hussain was solidifying his grip on the organization, lashing out at anyone who challenged his leadership. In a February 1991 cable, a British diplomat named Patrick Wogan described how, according to a high-level MQM contact, Hussain had the names of dissidents passed to police commanders, with instructions to “deal severely with them.” (Hussain denies ever giving instructions to injure or kill anyone).

Even the privileged came under direct threat. One elite Pakistani, who asked not to be identified due to fear of retribution, recalled angering the party by having the thieving manager of his family textile factory arrested, unaware the employee was an MQM donor. One afternoon in 1991, four men with guns forced themselves into the wealthy man’s car, driving him to a farmhouse on the edge of the city. There, they slashed him with razor blades and plunged a power drill into his legs. The MQM denied being behind the kidnapping, but when the victim’s family asked political contacts to lean on the party he was released, arriving home in clothes soaked with blood.