Altaf Hussain quits as MQM chief: DAWN

Altaf Hussain, the founder of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, resigned as chief of the party on Sunday morning, said the "Dawn" , Pakistan's leading English daily.

Hussain said that he was voluntarily handing over all authority and responsibilities as party leader to the MQM's Rabita (Coordination) Committee, the paper said..

Speaking to media via telephone from UK, Hussain said Scotland Yard police had raided his residence some days ago and had seized some material, following which he decided to voluntarily step down as party leader on moral grounds, the report said.

Hussain said he would not seek legal counsel or a solicitor but would plead his case himself if he were to be produced in court in the Imran Farooq murder case. He said that he would accept any verdict the court gave.

Dr Imran Farooq was one of the founding members of the MQM, then known as the 'Mohajir Qaumi Movement' but later rechristened ' Muttahida Qaumi Movement'.

It became the largest political party in Karachi and often fought with state forces and rival parties violently to push for its demand that the Mohajirs, as the migrants from India were known, be recognised as Pakistan's "fifth nationality".

Failure to get that led Altaf Hussain to remark once that supporting the Partition and the formation of Pakistan was a 'big mistake' for the Indian Muslims.

Farooq, who had also been living in exile in London since 1999, was stabbed to death outside his residence at Green Lane on Sept 16, 2010.

Recently, the London Metropolitan police had intensified investigation into the murder, and police searched two residential properties in London earlier this month as part of the ongoing probe.

It conducted several raids, arrested eight suspects, questioned several people and scanned through thousands of documents.

Sunday’s announcement came as a shock to MQM workers and supporters as Altaf Hussain has served as its chief since its inception in 1984.

In his telephone conversation with media, Hussain called on his party workers "to stay united, and to continue the struggle that we had once started."

He also urged his party workers to accept all decisions by the MQM's Rabita Committee in the same manner that they acted upon his directions.

Shortly after news of the announcement on TV channels around 5 am, a large number of party workers and supporters started gathering at the MQM's 'Nine Zero' headquarters in Karachi as well as offices in other parts of the country.

No official statement has yet been issued by the MQM regarding Hussain’s decision to step down as party chief.