LONDON: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain has lost £ 10 million approximate worth of London properties case to his former loyalists in MQM-Pakistan (MQM-P) after legal battle at UK High Court. IT Minister Syed Aminul Haque represented party in UK court. Insolvency and Companies Judge Clive Jones sitting as High Court Judge in High Court of Justice Business and Property Court of England and Wales has ruled that that MQM-P is real MQM and its members are true beneficiaries of trusts that control London’s properties which are currently under control of Altaf Hussain. Judge ruled that MQM founder Altaf Hussain had resigned from party after his August 2016 speech. Judgment means that UK judge has ruled in favour of MQM-P led by Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and against MQM-London led by Altaf Hussain. ICC Judge Jones has ruled that lawyer acting for Syed Aminul Haque of MQM-P has established that MQM’s April 2016 Constitution was adopted and “It has not been established that 2015 Constitution was adopted and on balance of probability it was not.”

ICC Judge Jones said in his judgment, “As on August 23, 2016 Mr Altaf Hussain stood down from any role in or involvement with MQM-P. Whether temporarily or permanently that did not alter before his expulsion from MQM-P when he formed new association operating from London.”

MQM-P and Syed Aminul Haque were represented by Barrister Nazar Muhammad and Hussain and his colleagues were represented by Richard Blake KC.

Tariq Mir, Muhammad Anwar and Iqbal Hussain didn’t fight MQM-P’s claim and stood aside in agreement with MQM-P. Former MQM veterans Nadeem Nusrat, who runs his own party called Voice of Karachi, Dr Farooq Sattar who also headed his own MQM faction till recently and former Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar supported MQM-P’s case and appeared in court against Altaf Hussain openly confronting their former leader.  Syed Aminul Haque says Altaf Hussain had no leadership role in MQM from August 22, 2016 and that Altaf Hussain did not object to this. MQM-P says Altaf Hussain’s supposed veto power was neutered by his August 22, 2016 letter of apology after his controversial speech.

Judgment shows ICC Judge Jones accepted case advanced by MQM-P and didn’t believe in case presented by Altaf Hussain’s legal team.

Conclusion of judgment says “Further hearing would be required to decide whether resolutions passed on August 31 and/or September 1, 2016 breached April 2016 Constitution. Further hearing is unnecessary.

Published in The Daily National Courier, March, 14 2023

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