London/Karachi, May 28, 2025 — Exiled Pakistani political leader and founder of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Altaf Hussain, has made an emotional appeal to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting his intervention to highlight the plight of Muhajirs — the Urdu-speaking migrants and their descendants who moved from India to Pakistan during the Partition in 1947.
In a public message shared via social media and subsequently picked up by international news outlets, Hussain pleaded with PM Modi to raise his voice for the Muhajir community, whom he described as "oppressed and persecuted" in Pakistan.
"Please, save the Muhajirs who came from India to Pakistan. They are being subjected to systematic discrimination, targeted killings, and denial of basic rights," Hussain said in his message, adding that successive Pakistani governments and military establishments have marginalized the community.
Hussain, who has lived in exile in the United Kingdom since the early 1990s and faces multiple charges in Pakistan, has long accused the Pakistani state of committing human rights violations against Muhajirs in urban Sindh, particularly in Karachi and Hyderabad.
He has repeatedly called for international intervention, but this is one of the rare occasions where he has directly addressed the Prime Minister of India.
The MQM was once a dominant political force in urban Sindh, but in recent years, its influence has diminished due to internal splits, state crackdowns, and allegations of militancy. Hussain’s appeal to PM Modi comes amid increasing tensions between India and Pakistan and raises diplomatic sensitivities in both countries.
There has been no official response from the Indian government on Hussain’s appeal as of yet.
Muhajirs are the descendants of Urdu-speaking Muslims who migrated from various parts of India to Pakistan during and after the 1947 Partition. Despite their early administrative dominance in Pakistan's bureaucracy, many in the community now claim systemic discrimination, especially in access to jobs, education, and political representation.
Political analysts say Hussain’s plea is unlikely to elicit a formal response from New Delhi, given the complex geopolitical dynamics and India's stated policy of non-interference in Pakistan's internal affairs. However, the message has sparked renewed discussions on minority rights and migration-related identities in the subcontinent.
