LONDON/TEXAS — Kahkashan Haider Khan, a former activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), has been sentenced to eight years (96 months) in federal prison in the United States for making false statements related to international terrorism, the Eastern District of Texas court announced.
Kahkashan, 54, a US citizen who immigrated from Karachi in the early 1990s, had been involved in recruiting and facilitating terrorist activities in Pakistan. According to court documents, she admitted to lying during an FBI investigation about her role in plotting fire-bomb attacks on two gas stations in Karachi, which were intended to cause widespread harm.
The investigation revealed that in January 2023, Kahkashan recruited an accomplice in Pakistan to carry out the attacks, providing financial support through funds collected from MQM sympathizers in the United States. She also coordinated details of the attacks, including target selection, use of flammable accelerants, staging locations, and post-attack escape plans.
On February 20, 2023, her co-conspirator sent her photos claiming to show the gas station attacks. Kahkashan celebrated the news, only to later discover the images were from a 2022 incident, leading to anger and accusations of deceit against her accomplice. During an FBI interview on February 23, 2023, she made multiple false statements denying involvement, which she later admitted in court were knowingly false and material to the terrorism investigation.
Acting US Attorney Jay R. Combs emphasised that the United States will not serve as a base for planning terrorist acts abroad, stating that the FBI will aggressively pursue anyone attempting such activities. FBI Dallas Special Agent R. Joseph Rothrock confirmed ongoing coordination with international partners to hold perpetrators accountable.
Kahkashan’s connections with MQM founder Altaf Hussain and MQM-London were examined, but the US court did not implicate the party in her actions. MQM-London has officially distanced itself, noting Kahkashan was expelled in 2019 for disciplinary violations and acting against party interests.
Karachi counter-terrorism officials had previously identified Kahkashan as part of broader schemes targeting political, law enforcement, and religious figures in the city. Evidence suggested coordination with external groups and the re-establishment of target-killing networks, but MQM-London clarified that these activities were carried out independently of the party after Kahkashan’s removal.
