Pakistan's MQM founder Altaf Hussain arrested in London

Altaf Hussain, the founder of Pakistan's Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), was arrested in London on Tuesday over a hate speech in 2016 in which he had urged his followers to take the law into their own hands, the media reported.

Scotland Yard raided Hussain's London home in the morning and he was taken to a local police station. Fifteen officers took part in the raid, Geo News reported citing security sources.

A forensic unit of Scotland Yard also searched Hussain's residence. The news of his arrest was confirmed by MQM sources, Geo News said.

It is believed that Hussain was arrested in relation to the hate speech of 2016 in which he had urged his followers to take the law into their own hands. He had also threatened former Director General Rangers Major General Bilal Akbar, according to the report.

In 2017, Scotland Yard had sent a letter under "Mutual Legal Assistance" to Pakistan in relation to two speeches made by the MQM founder on March 11, 2015 and August 22, 2016.

Both the Crown Prosecution Service and Metropolitan Police Services had earlier confirmed to Geo that a criminal investigation had started against Hussain.