KARACHI: A senior Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader, who was arrested by the London Metropolitan Police on Wednesday morning on suspicion of money laundering, was released after around eight hours of captivity.

“Following his arrest in London this morning, we can confirm that Mohammed Anwar, a member of MQM’s coordination committee, has been released on police bail to appear at a central London police station at a later date,” said a brief MQM statement released from London in the evening.

An earlier party statement said he had been arrested from his North London residence in the morning and interviewed at a police station in central London.

“Our understanding is that this is part of the Metropolitan Police’s ongoing investigation into allegations of money-laundering,” the statement said. “The MQM firmly denies any suggestion of money-laundering. We will continue to cooperate with the police and continue to hope for a timely conclusion of this matter.”

A chartered accountant by profession, 64-year-old Anwar spent his early life in Dhaka, then East Pakistan, and migrated to the United Kingdom in 1970. He was instrumental in setting up MQM’s international secretariat in London when the party supremo Altaf Hussain went there 23 years ago.

During the 1990s, he used to represent the MQM at major international forums where he was known for highlighting the ‘atrocities’ committed against Muhajirs in the name of Karachi operation.

In 2002, Mr Anwar played a pivotal role in holding behind-the-scenes successful dialogue with the military establishment during the rule of Gen Pervez Musharraf, after which the MQM got the post of Sindh governor and became part of the Ali Mohammad Mahar-led provincial cabinet.

Once considered to be the most powerful man in the MQM after Altaf Hussain, Mr Anwar was also sidelined, like many others, by the party chief several times.

He was also removed from the coordination committee and until recently was included again in it. He was hospitalised in January for a serious ailment and, according to people close to him, he has not recovered fully.

Agencies add: London Metropolitan Police said in a statement that officers had arrested a 64-year-old man as part of an ongoing investigation into money laundering. He was bailed to return on a date in mid-July. Officers continued to search the address, it added.

Five other men previously arrested in connection with the investigation remained on police bail while inquiries continued, the statement said.

Altaf Hussain, who has been living in self-imposed exile in Britain since 1992, is one of them. He was arrested and questioned last June.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2015

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