LONDON: Scotland Yard on Tuesday arrested Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founding leader Altaf Hussain in London.

Media sources said that Altaf Hussain was apprehended during a raid at his home in north west London and taken to a local police station. It is reported that he has been collared in relation to the incendiary speech of 2016 in which he urged his followers to attack media houses. In a later speech, Hussain had also issued threats to the then director general Rangers, Lieutenant General Bilal Akbar.

In a press release, Metropolitan Police said, “He was arrested on suspicion of intentionally encouraging or assisting offences contrary to Section 44 of the Serious Crime Act 2007.”

“As part of the investigation, officers are carrying out a search at the north west London address. Detectives are also searching a separate commercial address in north west London.

“The investigation, which is being led by officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, is focused on a speech broadcast in August 2016 by an individual associated with the MQM movement in Pakistan as well as other speeches previously broadcast by the same person.

“Throughout the investigation, officers have been liaising with Pakistani authorities in relation to our ongoing enquiries.”

In November 2017, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had submitted a charge sheet before a court against the MQM founder in a case related to terror financing and money laundering.

The investigation officer of the FIA had submitted the interim report before the anti-terrorism court, in which he placed five witnesses.