Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain, who has been declared an absconder by Pakistan in murder, terrorism and hate-speech among others cases, has sung an the popular Indian national song “Sare Jahan Se Acha” on an Indian news channel.
Speaking to India’s Republic TV, Altaf said there was no difference between people of Pakistan and India, “We used to visit each other on Eid and Diwali and share each others’ pain.”
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The MQM founder further said that he was compelled to leave Pakistan as “there existed a nexus of the military and politicians in the country and assassins had been hired to kill him”.
The 66-year-old politician is living in London for more than two decades now and was recently banned from appearing on any form of media in the UK or Pakistan by the Westminster Magistrates’ Court, after Scotland Yard charged him with a terrorism offence in the incitement speech inquiry against him.
Altaf was charged with encouraging terrorism after a 2016 address to supporters in Karachi that was followed by violent protests.
He faces several years imprisonment for the speech which was “likely to be understood” as encouraging supporters to acts of terrorism or was “reckless” of the possible consequences.
Altaf had earlier requested Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi to help him by giving him asylum in India besides financial help to him and his companions. Meanwhile, Lawyers are assessing whether Hussain has breached his bail conditions by asking the Indian premier to let him stay in India while he awaits trial of his case.
