Altaf Hussain Assassination Attempt: Masked Men Try To Enter MQM Founders London Home

In a significant and alarming development in London, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has officially claimed that its founder, Altaf Hussain, was the target of a potential assassination attempt. According to reports released by the organization, two masked individuals were caught on camera attempting to forcibly enter Hussain's residence in London. This incident has sent shockwaves through the political circles of the Pakistani diaspora, as Altaf Hussain has remained a central, albeit controversial, figure in Karachi's politics for over three decades despite living in self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom.

Details of the Attempted Incursion

The MQM has released CCTV footage to support its claims, which allegedly shows two unidentified men with their faces covered trying to gain access to the property. Following the incident, MQM leader Mustafa Azizabadi took to social media to provide further details and express the party's grave concerns. Azizabadi asserted that the intruders appeared to be highly trained individuals, suggesting that the breach wasn't a random act of burglary but a sophisticated attempt on Altaf Hussain's life. He emphasized that the safety of the MQM founder is now a matter of extreme concern and urged the British government to take immediate notice of the situation. The party has formally requested that the UK authorities provide adequate security to Hussain to prevent any future threats.

The Political Legacy of Altaf Hussain

Altaf Hussain's journey from a pharmacy student to one of Pakistan's most influential and polarizing political figures is a complex narrative, while born to parents who migrated from India to Pakistan following the partition, Hussain grew up in the Azizabad area of Karachi. His academic background is in the medical field; he studied Pharmacy at Karachi University and successfully obtained his Bachelor of Pharmacy degree in 1979. Before his full-time entry into the world of politics, he gained professional experience working in both the hospital and pharmaceutical sectors. However, his true calling was political activism, which began during his university days.

The Foundation of APMSO and MQM

The roots of Hussain's political empire were planted on June 11, 1978, when he founded the All Pakistan Mohajir Students Organization (APMSO) at Karachi University. The primary objective of this organization was to advocate for the political and educational rights of Mohajir students—those whose families had migrated from India. This student body eventually served as the foundational base for the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. In 1984, the APMSO evolved into the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM), with Altaf Hussain emerging as its undisputed leader. The party quickly consolidated its power in the urban centers of Sindh, particularly in Karachi and Hyderabad. By the general elections of 1988, the MQM had established itself as a formidable political force in urban Sindh, eventually entering into a political agreement with the Pakistan Peoples Party government.

Decades of Influence and Controversy

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the MQM maintained a vice-like grip on the political and organizational landscape of Karachi. This period was also marked by intense ethnic and political violence, involving clashes between various political and armed factions. There have been long-standing allegations regarding the MQM's relationship with Pakistan's military and intelligence establishments during its early years. Some analysts and former officials have claimed that the military initially viewed the MQM as a useful counterweight to other political forces in Sindh. However, the MQM and its supporters have consistently denied many aspects of these claims, maintaining that their rise was a grassroots movement for the rights of the Mohajir community.

Exile and the 1992 Military Operation

The trajectory of Altaf Hussain's life changed dramatically in December 1991. Following an alleged attempt on his life, he left Pakistan for the United Kingdom, where he sought and was granted political asylum. Shortly after his departure, on June 19, 1992, the Pakistani government launched a massive military operation against the MQM in Karachi. This operation is considered a watershed moment in the history of both the city and the party. Despite being thousands of miles away in London, Hussain continued to exert immense control over the MQM's activities in Pakistan, communicating with party leaders and supporters through telephone addresses and other media for many years. While his supporters continue to view him as the primary political leader of the Mohajir community, his critics and Pakistani authorities have accused the MQM of involvement in target killings, extortion, and other criminal activities—charges that Hussain and the party have always denied. This latest incident in London has once again brought the issue of his security and his enduring political relevance to the forefront.