Altaf Hussain, one of Pakistan's most powerful politicians and leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), was arrested by the British police in London on Tuesday, June 3, on the suspicion of money-laundering.

Hussain, who has been living in self-imposed exile since 1991, is one of the most controversial Pakistani politicians. The 60-year-old's MQM is a liberal party, but critics claim it imposes its agenda on people by force and keeps armed wings to harass and kill opponents and dissidents. The party has also been accused of involvement in kidnapping and extortion, though it vehemently denies these allegations.

Panic gripped the southern port city of Karachi - Hussain's political stronghold - as the news of his arrest broke out. Protesters blocked roads and burnt down vehicles.

Interrogation

The London Metropolitan Police said on June 3 that a 60-year-old man had been arrested in northwest London on the suspicion of money-laundering. According to UK laws, police is not allowed to name suspects until they are formally charged.

However, the London-based secretariat of Hussain's party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), confirmed the arrest. Mustafa Azizabadi, a member of the MQM's Central Coordination Committee, told DW officers had taken Hussain to the police station for questioning about allegations of money-laundering. Azizabadi added, however, that "since Mr. Hussain is not keeping well, he was later taken for a medical check-up in a hospital in central London. After he has been interrogated by the police, we will come to know when he can receive bail."

Hussain's residence in London was previously raided by British police on similar allegations in 2012 and 2013.

Pakistan reacts

"People are upset about what happened to their leader yesterday and they are protesting all over Pakistan," claimed Azizabadi.

DW's correspondent Rafat Saeed reported that the entire city came to an immediate halt and people rushed to their homes for safety as soon as they heard the news: "The British High Commission in Karachi has temporarily closed its office in the aftermath, and the government tightened security around British companies and offices in the city."

Members of the MQM's central committee gathered at the party's Karachi headquarters to discuss the political repercussion of Hussain's arrest. The party asked the supporters to remain calm and protest peacefully.

But MQM supporters are angry: "Karachi is Pakistan's economic backbone, and Hussain is loved by the people in the city. A conspiracy has been hatched against our leader, and many Pakistani politicians are involved in it. I just want to convey to Pakistani authorities and the world that we will paralyze Karachi's economy if Hussain is not released immediately," Tahir Ahmed, a MQM supporter in Karachi, told DW.

Despite the lawlessness and violence in the city, Karachi is still considered one of the most important political centers in Pakistan due to its economic significance and its population of 18 million. The city has 20 of the 274 seats in the National Assembly, Pakistan's lower house of parliament. Experts say that a party which controls the city has the power to make or break central governments.

Hussain's influence

Altaf Hussain founded the MQM in the mid-1980s. Ever since, the party has been a dominant political force in Karachi. Hussain's supporters are mostly Urdu-speakers known as Mohajirs - people who migrated from India during and after the Islamic Republic's independence from the British in 1947.

Hussain came to UK in 1991 amid violence in Karachi and sought asylum, citing his life was in danger in Pakistan. His elder brother and nephew had been killed during political violence. He was granted British citizenship in 2002.

He has been running the MQM from his residence in the northern suburbs of London. The "Bhai" (elder brother), as he is respectfully called by his followers, regularly addresses thousands of people in Karachi via telephone.

"Altaf Hussain is head of the fourth biggest political party in Pakistan. He lives in the hearts of millions and is a father figure to his party members," said Azizabadi.

Allegations

In September 2010, one of the founding members of the MQM, Imran Farooq, was murdered in northwest London on his way back to home from work. British police raided the MQM office in connection with this case in 2012, and in 2014 they finally released pictures of two Pakistani men allegedly involved in his assassination. Hussain's political opponents in Pakistan accuse him of planning and carrying out the attack on Farooq.

Also in 2012 and 2013, British police searched Hussain's house in connection with money-laundering claims and confiscated considerable amounts of cash.

The MQM strongly rejects any link with Imran Farooq's murder and money-laundering allegations and says Hussain is being targeted to weaken his party back in Pakistan.

Aamir Ghauri, a London-based Pakistani political expert, is of the view that the British authorities seem serious about taking action against Hussain. "The allegations against Hussain need to be investigated. The British authorities want to set a precedent," Ghauri told DW.

MQM – a balancing force

Experts say that the MQM, which has ruled Karachi for more than two decades without any major opposition is now losing its grip on the city, with other stakeholders emerging and challenging its power. The MQM faces allegations abroad. Domestically it not only faces opposition from a number of political parties, but militant Islamists in the city are also getting more powerful by the day.

Some political analysts are of the view that the secular MQM is the only force in Karachi which dares to oppose Islamic extremists and their supporters. The Taliban repeatedly attacked MQM rallies in the run-up to last year's general elections. The rise of Islamists and their supporters in the city, and the downfall of the MQM are an alarming sign.

Jahanzeb Siddiqui, a young MQM supporter in Karachi, is of the view that certain people withtin the Pakistani establishment want to see the political demise of both the MQM and Altaf Hussain so that they can "Islamize" the city. "Countries like Britain should understand that the city will fall in the hands of Islamists if the MQM and its leader is no more on the scene."