LONDON: A statement by a senior Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) member Tariq Mir given before London police officials in 2012 which said that he would meet Indian government operatives and received funding as well as training has appeared.
The statement (whose copy is obtained by a Paksitani journalist) given to the London Metropolitan Police by Tariq Mir in 2012 suggest that MQM received direct Indian funding as much as 800,000 pounds every year as Indians thought “it was good to support us (MQM)”.
The transcripts as released first show that Mir gave the statement ‘voluntarily’ and was not under arrest and was told that the police has interviewed senior MQM leader Muhammad Anwar upon which he opened up about receiving direct funds from India stating, “It was very secret… The money would have come via Mr Anwar, because apart from me, Anwar and Dr F and Anwar knew about the money. So far as I know, no one else in the party, apart from Anwar, had the money. No one but the four of us knew about it, we did not want to come out that MQM was receiving from Indians”.
This certain Mr. F is said to be either the late Dr. Imran Farooq or Dr. Farooq Sattar.
Did Altaf Hussain know about the ‘Indian’ Money?
Asked whether MQM chief Altaf Hussein knew about the Indian money, Tariq Mir said that Hussein himself was getting money from India.
“He got his money from different sources. The Indian government funded us because they thought it was good to support us,” he added.
MEETINGS
Mir while maintaining that he does not remember when he first met with the Indians but assets that Mohammad Anwar and MQM chief Altaf Hussein were present.
About three to four meetings took place in different European cities adding that Indians chose the time of the meeting.
” The purpose of the meetings was to get to know one and other; I believe their names were not the real names, they were never gave their (names), they were from Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) as I understood ” Mir added.
How was the Money transferred
“The meeting was in 2010 (I think in Rome) and then we got money… Initially the money was paid in US dollars but there were delays in converting to sterling pound so after some time they paid us in sterling pounds not dollars. We get money in lots of different ways; for example some money transferred into a bank account or the money is in a pool in Pakistan, is converted and given to us. All the money used to go to Mr Hussein or a third thing (source of funds) may have been money or a cheque which is paid to Mr Hussein. Or the Indian hands to Mr Hussein, the money would either be transferred to Mr Hussein by Hawalah”, Mir told the police.
Indian Training
Mir maintained that to his understanding, meeting with Indians included training, that too in firearms.
“Going back to 1996, when MQM was founded it provided training, I assume that this was included as a part of our talks with Indians.
Asked whether the MQM was involved in furthering its political position in Karachi, including involvement in guns, IEDs explosives, Tariq Mir said he cannot say that we have killing teams but there are people who would get involved in unauthorised violence that is not sanctioned and would be displaced, chucked out of the party.
But when asked again, Mir asserted that MQM sent people to India to have weapons training for self defence. The transcript towards the end also shows Mir’s confession regarding MQM’s target killing team as it reads “Now the killing teams are set up and controlled by London.”
MQM RESPONSE
MQM co-ordination committee called the released statement a continuation of the party’s media trial adding that the party is investigating the ‘fabricated’ document.
The Rabita committee statement further said that MQM’s legal team is in contact with British authorities over the matter.
Associating Alleged Statement of Sr Worker Mr Tariq Mir is a part of on going #MediaTrial against the #MQM #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/s59Ez8m9R8
— Wasay Jalil (@WasayJalil) June 27, 2015
