Muhammad Anwar says MQM received funding from Indian government.

LONDON -- The Muttahida Qaumi Movement's former head of diplomatic wing and Coordination Committee member Muhammad Anwar has revealed that the MQM has been receiving funds from the Indian government and he was asked by the party leadership to coordinate with Indian contacts to get the funding.

In an exclusive interview with media at his home in Edgware, the MQM stalwart denied having anything to do with the murder of Dr Imran Farooq and revealed that it was Nadeem Nusrat who introduced him to an Indian diplomat in early 90's. Nusrat, MQM's former Coordination Committee member, now lives in Washington and runs his own organization.

Speculations have also existed that the MQM received monies from India's spy agency RAW but this is for the first time that a former senior office-bearer like Anwar has officially accused MQMof being involved with India's spy agency over a period of time.

Anwar revealed: 'It was sometime in the early 90's when Nadeem Nusrat came to me and told me that he would like me to meet an Indian diplomat. He asked me to meet the Indian diplomat alone but I refused and told him that he should accompany too. It was at 7 o clock in the evening and it was raining heavily that day. Nadeem Nusrat, on my insistence, went with me to the meeting but stood outside the venue.'

Anwar said he told the Indian diplomat that he will discuss issues with him only in the presence of his senior, Nusrat. The Indian diplomat told Anwar he had instructions only to speak to him and not to anyone else. 'I told him that I will not speak to him on my own. After making a call to someone and after about half an hour's argument, he received permission and then Nadeem Nusrat joined us too. This is how I got connected.'

Anwar said that it was never his decision to meet Indian diplomats and deal with them. 'I confirm that I was obeying orders of the party. I was asked to do what I did and I was connected by MQM with the Indian contacts. I never had any vested interests. We were towing the party line on India.'

Anwar said that his own colleagues in MQM - Pakistan and UK created a bad impression about him, projected him as the only bad person whereas the reality is that each and every person in the leadership position shared responsibilities and all decisions were taken in consultations with each other.

He said that the MQM-Pakistan leaders were projecting themselves today as holier than thou but he said that the Karachi based leadership was responsible for...