Official website of Altaf Hussain led Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) London was unblocked in Pakistan after nearly seven years.
Following MQM founder Altaf Hussain’s inflammatory speech on August 22, 2016, authorities had blocked the MQM-London website in the country as part of a crackdown, in which the MQM founder’s Azizabad residence and offices, popularly known as Nine Zero, were sealed.
However, the website was restored in the country earlier this week and is now accessible to Pakistani users, a move that has sparked speculation about the relationship between Altaf Hussain’s party and the establishment.
MQM-P’s Syed Aminul Haq is the federal minister for information technology and telecommunications, but the decision to shut down or restore 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 that he was aware that the authorities had unblocked his party’s official website.
“(But) there were no talks with the MQM government and establishment, we cannot say whether it is due to any mistake or not,” he said, adding that we welcome the process.
He called upon the authorities to withdraw the “illegal” media ban on the political activities of Altaf Hussain and the MQM.
