MQM chief Altaf Hussain can be put on trial under UK’s Anti-Terrorism Act and he can even get life imprisonment, lawyer Sibghatullah Qadri and other legal experts in London have said.
Other legal experts said that Altaf can be booked under the Racial and Religious Hatred Act and Crime and Disorder Act.
According to law experts, if any person uses the UK soil for inciting religious, linguistic or political hatred in Pakistan or any other country, action could be taken against him under several UK laws.
Britain’s first Muslim QC lawyer Sibghatullah Qadri said that there is freedom of expression in the UK but no one is allowed to misuse it.
“Strict legal action could be taken against those who provoke hatred, or incite someone to kill others,” he said, adding that it is a heinous crime which is punishable by life
imprisonment.
Qadri said hurling life threat upon someone was a heinous crime. He said under section 59 of the Terrorism Act, anyone found involved in threatening someone outside this country of physical damage would be considered as a terrorist and proceedings would be conducted against him under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
He said violence and hurling life threat come under terrorism and its punishment is life imprisonment.
Amjad Malik, solicitor advocate, supreme court (England) and chairman of Association of Pakistani Lawyers, said Altaf could be booked under Racial and Religious Hatred Act and Public Order Act. He said the punishment under these acts is three-year imprisonment.
He said if someone issues life threats while using the British soil, this crime is punishable with life imprisonment. However, he said, only police can take any action in this regard. He said the police have to take into consideration the difficulties of people.