India provides funds, training to MQM: BBC

The BBC said, British authorities held formal recorded interviews with senior MQM officials who told them the party was receiving Indian funding.

By Afzal Khan

Published: Thu 25 Jun 2015, 11:55 PM

Last updated: Wed 8 Jul 2015, 2:59 PM

Islamabad — India has trained hundreds of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) militants over the last 10 years. However, Indian authorities described the claims as “completely baseless”, the BBC said in a special report quoting an unnamed official.

When asked for a comment on the allegations, MQM spokesperson Wasay Jalil said, “It’s a very old allegation with nothing new in it. The party will comment on the baseless story.”

The BBC said, British authorities held formal recorded interviews with senior MQM officials who told them the party was receiving Indian funding.

A Pakistani official has also told the BBC that India has trained hundreds of MQM militants in explosives, weapons and sabotage over the last 10 years in camps in north and north-east India.

“Before 2005-2006 the training was given to a small number of mid-ranking members of the MQM, the official said. More recently greater numbers of more junior party members have been trained,” says the BBC report.

When asked about allegations against MQM, the Indian High Commission in London said, “Shortcomings of governance cannot be rationalised by blaming neighbours.”

Commenting on the report, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf chairman Imran Khan said, “The party (MQM) has a mafia side and a political side but the political side is shrinking.”

“Most people would be shocked but occasionally he (Altaf) does give the impression that he is being controlled from outside,” Imran said, when asked how people would respond to the report.

According to unofficial reports, BBC has closed its Karachi office while staffers have been sent to Islamabad in preparation for the airing of BBC Two’s News Night programme.

This is not the first time the MQM has been accused of links with India’s notorious spy agency, RAW. Earlier on May 1, a senior officer of the Sindh police alleged that RAW trained the MQM to create unrest in Karachi. To back his claims, senior police officer Rao Anwar had paraded before the media two ‘RAW-trained terrorists.’

The RAW has been training MQM workers for carrying out terrorist activities in Karachi,” Rao had alleged. “The workers are trained in bomb-making and handling sophisticated weapons.

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