Pakistan’s Interior Ministry said Wednesday that the country has requested that Britain take action against a former party leader who delivered a speech last week that ignited rioting in Karachi. Pakistan’s Interior Ministry sent a report [NYT report] on Altaf Hussain [official profile] to British authorities on Tuesday, alleging that the self-exiled party leader had incited violence and disturbed law and order. Altaf Hussain is a British national and founder of the Muttahida Quami movement (MQM), which is a secular party representing ethnic Mohajirs, who fled to Pakistan from India during the 1947 partition. Hussain delivered an anti-government message last week via telephone to his supporters. This speech resulted in rioting [BBC report] and the chanting of “Down with Pakistan.” More than 45 leaders and supporters have been detained and numerous offices have been demolished. The party leadership in Pakistan has disassociated itself from Hussain and promised the party will no longer be run from London, where Hussain has lived in self-imposed exile.

The Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) has found itself in trouble in the international community on numerous occasions. In August 2015 the party was forced to resign [BBC report] from the government position as a result of a “crackdown” on the party after numerous violent actions. In June 2014 UK police obtained documents [BBC report] that linked the MQM to numerous London bank account after the party was being investigated for money-laundering. In March 2014 the Pakistani High Court of Sindh Karachi sentenced [JURIST report] six men associated with the MQM for the murder of a prominent TV journalist.