LONDON/TEXAS: A leading activist of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has been sentenced to eight years in prison for federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas after pleading guilty to false statements in relation to international terrorism in Karachi.
Kahkashan Haider Khan, 54, pleaded guilty to false statements in relation to international terrorism directed in Karachi and was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison by US District Judge Amos, L Mazzant, announced Acting US Attorney Jay R. Combs.
The court was told that on February 23, 2023, Khan was interviewed by special agents from the FBI regarding her involvement in the planned fire-bombing of two gas stations in Karachi.
Khan – a US citizen and immigrant from Karachi who started as an activist in the MQM and moved to the US in early 90s – served as a recruiter and facilitator of terrorist actions in Pakistan by collecting funds, sending them to Pakistan, and arranging and paying for violent actions in Pakistan.
In January 2023, Khan recruited an individual in Pakistan to conduct fire-bombings on two Punjabi-owned gas stations in Karachi Pakistan. Khan discussed multiple aspects of the plan with her co-conspirator in Pakistan, including selecting the target locations, discussing which flammable accelerants to use, where to stage before the attacks, how to escape after the attacks, and arranged for the purchase of two firearms to be used by the attackers to ensure their success. Khan collected money from MQM sympathizers in the United States and wired the funds to Pakistan to pay for the attacks, the court was told.
On February 20, 2023, Khan’s co-conspirator in Pakistan sent Khan photos from news coverage of a fire-bombing of a Karachi, Pakistan gas station caused by attackers throwing something from a vehicle, resulting in six people being burned. Khan celebrated the news and told her Pakistani co-conspirator that he would be greatly rewarded for his work. Throughout that day, February 20, 2023, Khan scoured the internet for news in Pakistan regarding the fire-bombing but could find none. After approximately one day of searching, she discovered that the photos her co-conspirator sent were from an event that occurred in October of 2022. Khan was furious and accused her co-conspirator of deceit and being a disgrace to the MQM movement, the court was told.
On February 23, 2024, FBI special agents interviewed Khan at her home about these events. During the interview, Khan made multiple false statements about the events and lied about her involvement in the attempted attacks. Khan denied that she wanted a co-conspirator to commit the fire-bombings in Pakistan. During her plea hearing, Khan admitted that these were false statements made knowing that the statements were material to a terrorism investigation.
“We will not allow the United States to be a launching point for terrorist attacks abroad,” said Acting US Attorney Jay R Combs. “Vigilantly protecting the United States and its interests is inherent in everything we do. This includes aggressively prosecuting those who wrongly believe that they can find safe harbor in the United States while plotting crimes elsewhere. The FBI will aggressively investigate individuals planning or taking part in acts of violence in support of terrorism. We take these crimes seriously and will work with our international partners to hold perpetrators accountable,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
Kahkashan’s brother was also a die-hard member of the MQM and committed suicide a few years back. When visiting London, she always met the MQM founder Altaf Hussain. There is no suggestion that Altaf or MQM-London had any role in her actions as the US court didn’t discuss any such thing.
However, in March 2021, Karachi’s renowned and respected intelligence police officer Omar Shahid Hamid announced that Kahkashan Haider was part of the “Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London” and been discovered plotting the assassination of various personalities to trigger sectarian violence and spread chaos in the metropolis.
“The MQM-London’s Coordination Committee member Kahkashan Haider has established target killers’ groups in collaboration with India’s RAW and anti-Pakistan Sindhi and Baloch groups to target law enforcement agencies, police, political and religious leaders in Pakistan, particularly in Karachi,” said CTD DIG Omar Shahid Hamid.
The counter-terror force chief said Ms Haider, based in Texas, US, since the 1990s, had remained a close aide of MQM founder Altaf and that both the CTD and Rangers obtained some “concrete evidence” after interrogation of recently held alleged hitmen affiliated with the MQM-L who were arrested in Sindh, particularly in Karachi. Those held suspects have revealed that under directions of MQM-L chief Altaf target killing teams had been “re-established”.
MQM-London’s Mustafa Azizabadi said in a statement to Geo News: “Kahkashan Haider was removed from the MQM in 2019 for violating the party discipline and for being involved in activities against the party interest. Her basic membership of the MQM was revoked, we have no relation with her words and actions.”
