MQM founder pleads not guilty to encouraging terror

LONDON: The founder and leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has pleaded not guilty to encouraging terrorism in a speech to supporters in 2016 in Karachi from his home in London.

Altaf Hussain, 66, has been accused of inciting terrorism and falling foul of British terror law over his speech to an MQM gathering in Karachi on August 22, 2016 from his Edgware base.

The charge by the Crown Prosecution Services (CPS) alleges that the former strongman of Karachi was “likely to be understood by some or all of the members of the public to whom they were published as a direct or indirect encouragement to them to the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism”.

At the time of the publication, he intended those who heard him to be encouraged, “or was reckless as to whether they would be so encouraged”, the charge states. Altaf Hussain has lived in the UK in self-exile since the 1990s.

On Monday, Altaf Hussain, who is on bail, attended a hearing in his Old Bailey case by Skype. He did not appear in court in person due to coronavirus scare and the social distancing guidelines being followed by the courts.

The MQM founder wore a face mask, large tinted glasses, a red tie and black suit for the virtual hearing attended by his barrister Joel Bennathan QC and prosecutor Mark Heywood QC.

Altaf Hussain spoke clearly to confirm his identity and enter his not guilty plea to the single charge against him. Mrs Justice May said the trial originally due to start on June 1 was “highly unlikely” to go ahead on that date due to the coronavirus crisis.

She said there was a backlog of custody cases which were likely to be heard before trials such as Hussain’s, in which the accused was on bail. The senior judge adjourned the case for a mention hearing on June 1.