Daily Times

Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) founder and leader Altaf Hussain has put the MQM’s iconic International Secretariat on sale for £1,000,000.

The move comes ahead of his trial at the Old Bailey later this year on charges related to incitement of terrorism.

Through two local estate agents in the area of Edgware, the MQM supremo is desperately trying to sell an entire office floor with parking space for 6 cars for an asking price of £1,000,000.

However, he has not received an offer in over two months.

This correspondent visited the property after making an appointment with the local estate agent, who is marketing the office for sale. It is understood that the MQM leader wants to raise funds to fund his expensive defence at the Old Bailey in about four months. The estate agent is asking interested buyers to pick up the deal as it is on a walking distance to Edgware Underground Station (Northern Line) and has a passenger lift, a manned reception and air conditioning. The marketing brochure says: “The first floor of Elizabeth House is available to purchase and would suit owner occupiers and investors looking to modernise the space. The floor is arranged with a reception area leading into a large office space and a number of private offices, meeting rooms and store rooms with the benefit of a large kitchen/break out room.”

The office has been on sale for several weeks now. More than a dozen interested buyers have visited the property, but so far, the MQM leader has not received any offer.

“Altaf Hussain will have to reduce the price by £50,000-£100,000 if he’s serious in selling the property. The property market is down at the moment and there are not many buyers for expensive properties. This property is in a great location,” a private news channel quoted its source as saying. The MQM-London’s office-bearers have moved to a house on Whitchurch Lane, where they are operating from a three bedroom. The MQM-London’s operations are now reduced to just about five full time staff members: Mustafa Azizabadi, Qasim Ali Raza, Adil Ghaffar Advocate, Sufyan Yusuf and Tariq Javed. The MQM’s international office has a great emotional and political value for the party’s followers. It is from here that Altaf Hussain ruled Karachi for nearly two decades with an iron fist, using three rooms and two telephone lines. It is in the same Elizabeth House which has housed dozens of MQM leaders who have since either formed PSP under Mustafa Kamal or joined the PTI govt under the banner of MQM-Pakistan, gone silent or chosen a path separate from the MQM supremo.