KARACHI: The official website of the Altaf Hussain-led Muttahida Qaumi Movement, commonly known as MQM-London, has been unblocked in Pakistan after a passage of around seven years, it emerged on Thursday.

Following Mr Hussain’s incendiary speech of Aug 22, 2016, authorities had blocked MQM-London’s website in the country as part of a crackdown that saw sealing of the MQM founder’s Azizabad residence, popularly known as Nine Zero, nearby Khurshid Begum Complex along with all other offices.

However, earlier this week, access to the website in the country was restored and it is now accessible to Pakistani users. The move has fuelled speculations regarding a thaw in relations between Mr Hussain’s party and the establishment.

While MQM-Pakistan’s Syed Aminul Haque is the federal minister of information technology and telecommunication, the decision to block or unblock any website is taken by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), which is not under the administrative control of the IT and telecom ministry.

When contacted, London-based MQM convener Mustafa Azizabadi told Dawn he was aware that the authorities had unblocked his party’s official website.

“[But] there are no talks between MQM and the government or establishment. We can’t say that this [unblocking of the website] is because of any mistake or not.” he said, adding: “We welcome this action.”

He demanded that the authorities withdraw the “illegal” media ban on Mr Hussain and political activities of the MQM.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2023