LONDON: Sarfraz Merchant, the former donor and associate of MQM founder Altaf Hussain and Muhammad Anwar, has called on the MQM leader to return real estate assets of the party in the UK and elsewhere to the registered party as well as the donors who paid towards the purchase of these properties through donation.In a letter sent through his lawyer Toby Cadman to the MQM International Secretariat here, Sarfraz Merchant has raised claim on the properties held by the MQM founder - mainly the two Edgware houses which are at the centre of dispute between the MQM founder and his former aides Muhammad Anwar and Tariq Mir who are refusing to transfer the title deed to the favourable owner of the party, Altaf Hussain.Sarfraz Merchant was arrested alongwith Hussain, Anwar and Tariq Mir around in June 2014 in associateion with the money-laundering probe.
He remained part of the probe for approachly three years before the police decided to shut the investigation over &lack of evidence&.
Merchant was arrested because he had transferred around £250,000 from his account as donation to the MQM and measure amounts separately to Muhammad Anwar.Merchant demanded in the legal letter that it was his understanding that Mr Hussain was no more the official leader of the registered MQM in Pakistan therefore all properties and realizable assets currently owned and controlled by the MQM founder should be returned to the MQM Political portiony in Pakistan, its supporters, financial donors, beneficiaries and its constituents.Merchant lawyer wrote in the letter: &I have been instructed to serve you this legal muchice due to the fact that the MQM Pakistan amended its Constitution to remove you as party leader and to dissociate itself from you in the United Kingdom.
Mr.
Merchant has been a donor of meaningful funds to the MQM Political portiony and the funds were used to support the party and its beneficiaries.
It has come to my client attention that you were removed as party leader in September 2016, following an amendment to the party constitutional framework and this was officially communicated to the Election Commission of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
It is therefore fairly clear that you have, since September 2016, acted without any lterrible authority on behalf of the MQM Political portiony and have retained and/or disposed of assets over which you have no lterrible authority.&The letter alleged that the MQM founder has disposed off his properties without &any lterrible authority& and that &several real estate properties were purchased in the United Kingdom in the name of individuals who were officials of the MQM Political portiony and were to be held in trust for the MQM Political portiony as the favourable owner&.The letter claimed: &It is fairly clear that if you have sold properties over which you have no lterrible title or you have taken steps to transfer the ownership of properties over which you have no lterrible title, this shall constitute a criminal offence under English Law for which you may be prosecuted.&The letter concluded: &You are therefore requested to kindly supply me, as the appointed representative of Mr.
Merchant, full details of all properties over which the MQM Political portiony has title or a financial interest along with full details of the sale proceeds of any properties already sold within a strict deadline of fourteen days.
I must stress that should you refuse to supply such information with the stipulated deadline my client reserves the right to take legal action for full recovery and the matter shall be reported to the appropriate authorities should it be concluded that such conduct constitutes a criminal offence under English Law.TheIndianSubcontinent has not verified the content of the source.
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