London:
Pakistan's powerful MQM chief Altaf Hussain, who has been arrested by the British police on charges of money laundering, yesterday returned to Scotland Yard custody after spending three days in a hospital.
Hussain, the self-exiled leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), was arrested on June 3 from his north London home and taken to a central London police station for questioning. He had been allowed to appear for some pre-arranged tests at Wellington Hospital in London.
"The 60-year-old man arrested on Tuesday, 3 June, in connection with a money laundering investigation has now been returned to a police station from hospital," a Metropolitan police statement confirmed.
"The release back to detention was agreed after consultation with the hospital responsible for assessing his medical condition," it added.
According to some media reports, Scotland Yard had begun a money laundering probe against Hussain after they recovered some funds from his home with an unclear source.
Officers had searched the premises in Edgware area of north London.
Hussain has been under investigation for money laundering worth at least 400,000 pounds, for inciting violence and in connection with MQM leader Dr Imran Farooq's murder.
His London residence was raided on money-laundering suspicion in 2012 and 2013 by British police.
He has lived in self-imposed exile in the UK since 1991, saying his life would be at risk if he returned to Pakistan.
Chaos, panic and fear prevailed in Karachi since the news of Hussain's arrest came from London.
Imran Mirza, the acting Pakistani high commissioner to the UK, on Thursday met Hussain at the hospital where the MQM leader was under treatment.
Mirza confirmed that Hussain had finally been issued his Pakistani National ID card and passport by the government.
Meanwhile in Islamabad, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said Hussain and his legal team had not yet contacted Pakistan government for any assistance.