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Police in London have arrested the leader of
Pakistan's powerful MQM party, Altaf Hussain, on suspicion of money-laundering.
Officers are searching a residential address
in north-west London where they say a 60-year-old man was detained.
Mr Hussain has lived in the UK since 1991,
saying his life would be at risk if he returned to Pakistan.
His party, which controls Karachi, has urged
supporters to stay calm amid outbreaks of violence there.
The British and Pakistani authorities have in
the past expressed concerns that any arrest of Altaf Hussain could lead to
violent protests in Karachi.
 Police investigators arrived at Altaf Hussain's London home on Tuesday
morning
 There was an angry reaction in Karachi to news of Mr Hussain's arrest
- protesters are reported by officials to have torched at least 12 vehicles
 The roads in Karachi became gridlocked as people returned home early
or rushed to stock up on groceries ahead of an expected prolonged shutdown in
the city by MQM supporters
Shootings have been reported from some parts
of Pakistan's largest city, which BBC correspondents say is tense.
Traffic jams were reported in Karachi and
other cities in Sindh province as businesses closed and people headed home
fearing violence.
One man in the city, who gave his name as
Tahir, told the BBC that MQM supporters were firing guns in the streets and
setting fire to any shops which remained open.
Another, Nabil, said there had been
"turmoil" and "massive confusion" about whether Altaf
Hussain had been arrested or not.
Who is Altaf Hussain?
- Born in Karachi in 1953 to a middle-class family;
studied pharmacy at university.
- Formed MQM party in 1984 to represent Mohajirs -
descendants of Urdu-speaking Muslims who migrated from India to Pakistan.
- Requested political asylum in UK in 1992, later gained
British citizenship; continues to run MQM from north London.
Karachi in fear after Altaf
Hussain arrest
Pakistan's powerful but absent
politician
Karachi has been wracked by violence - much of
it politically motivated.
Security is being tightened around the British
mission in the city, which has been closed temporarily, and other buildings.
A Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) spokesman in
London, Nadeem Nusrat, confirmed the arrest and urged its supporters to
"maintain peace at all costs".
"The police arrived with a search warrant
and wanted to question Mr Hussain regarding allegations of money laundering,"
he said in a statement.
Mr Hussain had been "very unwell"
for the past few days and was getting ready to go to hospital when the police
arrived, the statement added.
Police later confimed that Mr Hussain had been
escorted to a hospital appointment while still in custody.
Analysis: Owen Bennett-Jones, BBC
News
 Altaf Hussain has widespread support in Karachi but is based in
Edgware
For many years now, Altaf Hussain's MQM has
had a bloc of about 20 members in the National Assembly, making him a powerful
figure both in Pakistan's biggest city Karachi and in the country as a whole.
Remarkably he has led the party from London for over 20 years for fear that
going back home could result in legal cases or a physical threat to his
security.
As well as his solid electoral base in
Karachi, Mr Hussain has a powerful party organisation in the city which is
often accused of extorting money from businesses and using violence - or the
threat of it - to get its way.
For years the British authorities tolerated
the MQM being based in London. In fact British diplomats sought to take
advantage of the situation by trying to influence the party to help achieve
British objectives in Pakistan. But the mood changed when a senior MQM party
member Imran Farooq was murdered in London in 2010.
Mr Hussain, his party, and some of his
associates and relatives are currently the subject of a number of British
investigations.
One is looking into the question of whether in
his televised speeches he has incited violence in Pakistan, charges Mr Hussain
denies. Another is into whether the MQM has paid its UK taxes correctly.
The most high-profile investigation followed
the 2010 murder in London of a senior MQM leader Imran Farooq. No-one has been
formally charged with his killing.
The MQM is often accused of extorting money
from businesses in Karachi and shipping the money to the UK, charges the party
also denies.
Are you in Karachi? Are you affected by issues
raised in this story? Contact us at this address (please quote 'Karachi' in
your heading): haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
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