MQM founder Altaf Hussain hospitalized in London

LONDON: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder Altaf Hussain was hospitalized in London after suffering a serious illness, the party announced.

In a video message on X, MQM’s Central Coordination Committee Convener Mustafa Azizabadi stated that Altaf Hussain was admitted to a hospital because his health had been worsening and is now undergoing several tests.

Azizabadi disclosed that Hussain’s health deteriorated overnight, and the doctors advised his hospitalisation. There was “nothing out of the ordinary so far,” but he was undergoing medical tests, he clarified .

Altah Hussain, 70 years old, has been in self-exile in the United Kingdom since 1992, when the Pakistani government unleashed an operation against his party.

He was conferred British nationality and kept asserting significant political authority in Karachi by making periodic telephonic speeches to party activists.

The long-serving politician has been met with numerous legal woes. In October 2019, the police in the UK charged him with terror-related charges regarding his 2016 address, instigating violence. He was subsequently acquitted in 2022 by a British jury in a majority verdict after a three-day deliberation.

MQM’s former Deputy Convenor Qasim Ali stated in an X post that the doctors at a local London hospital examined Altaf Hussain and recommended different tests, including blood tests, ECG, CT scan, X-ray, and ultrasound.

“Altaf Hussain has been under great mental stress for quite a long time because of the domestic and international context, various cases in London, and acute financial woes.

Apart from medicines, Ali added, the doctors have also ordered a blood transfusion. He also asked people to “please keep praying for Altaf Bhai” and vowed to keep people updated on his health minute by minute.

Though Altaf Hussain is out of the political stage in Pakistan due to this self-imposed exile, he remains a polarising figure, with supporters crediting him for empowering Karachi’s Urdu-speaking population and critics blaming him for violence and political instability in the city.

MQM supporters are sharing best wishes and prayers for his speedy recovery on social media.