KARACHI - Malir police yesterday registered a case against Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain on the complaint of a woman for allegedly talking about sex to a group of male and female party workers.
Altaf Hussain had been filmed explaining intercourse to the workers in Karachi via phone from London, according to the police. A woman who saw the footage online of the alleged talk alerted the police.
“We have registered a case against Altaf Hussain and 20 of his party colleagues under the charges of publicly uttering immodest words after a woman, Nasreen, filed an application against them,” Malir SSP Rao Anwar said.
In a statement to the authorities, Nasreen wrote she was browsing the internet when she came across the clip of Hussain, addressing a mixed group of workers.
He was publicly telling the women about the sexual contact between male and female and his party workers were also repeating his words. It seemed he was intoxicated,” she said.
Anwar said other MQM leaders, including members of the parliament and the party’s candidate for Karachi mayor, were facing investigation over allegations such as organising the meeting and repeating Hussain’s words.
But a spokesman for MQM hit back, saying the investigation was unconstitutional. “MQM is a law-abiding party which believes in peaceful struggle and these kinds of cases are against the Constitution. We will face it in the court,” said Amin-ul-Haq also named in the case.
The MQM which is run by Altaf Hussain from London is the main political party in Karachi, a city of 20 million people. It represents an ethnic migrant community and is the fourth largest party in the lower house of the parliament with 23 members.
But it has long been blamed for ethnic violence in Karachi and has clashed repeatedly with the authorities.