Altaf Hussain (Pakistani politician)

Not to be confused with Altaf Hussain (Welsh politician).

Altaf Hussain
الطاف حسین
Hussain on ABP Sanjha in 2019
Leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement
Incumbent
Assumed office
18 March 1984
Preceded byOffice established
Personal details
Born (1953-09-17) 17 September 1953 (age 71)
Karachi, Pakistan
NationalityBritish Pakistani
Political partyMuttahida Qaumi Movement
Spouse
Faiza Gabol
​
​
(m. 2001; div. 2007)​
ChildrenAfzaa Altaf
Residence(s)London, United Kingdom
Alma mater
OccupationPolitician
Signature
Websitewww.mqm.org

Altaf Hussain (Urdu: الطاف حسین; pronounced [əltaːf ɦʊseːn]; born 17 September 1953 in Karachi) is a British Pakistani politician who is known as the founder of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. He holds United Kingdom citizenship and has been living in exile in the UK since the start of Operation Clean-up. Since 2015, he has been a fugitive from the Anti Terrorism Court of Pakistan on the charges of murder, targeted killing, treason, inciting violence and hate speech. He went on trial in the UK in January 2022 for promoting terrorism and unrest through hate speech in Pakistan,[1][2] and was acquitted the next month.[3] He had fled the country in 1992 after a crackdown against his party was launched.[4][5][6][7]

His supporters refer to him as Pir Sahib (Sufi spiritual guide), Quaid-e-Tehrik (leader of the movement), Rahbar (guide) or Altaf Bhai (brother Altaf).[8]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference fugitive was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference sentence was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "Phony Nobel Prize nominee linked to leader of Controversial Pakistan political group deported". US Fed News Service. 20 November 2006. Archived from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2013 – via HighBeam.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Baruah2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Ghosh, Papiya (2014). Partition and the South Asian Diaspora: Extending the Subcontinent. Routledge. ISBN 9781317809654.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Walsh2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "The rise and fall of Altaf Hussain". The Hindu. 8 September 2016. He was called a Pir Sahib for many years, Quaid-e-Tehrik (leader of the movement), Rahber (guide), and always Altaf Bhai.