MQM announces referendum on US raid

Party seeks responses on matters of national security, government’s performance.

KARACHI:

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has announced that it will hold a referendum to gauge public reaction on national security issues in the aftermath of the US raid on Abbottabad on May 2 that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

“Pakistan is passing through a critical phase,” said Anis Qaimkhani, deputy convenor of the party while reading out a statement in Karachi on Wednesday. “Questions have been raised over national security, sovereignty and freedom. There was never as much of a need for national solidarity as it is required today.”

The party will be posting a questionnaire on its website that lists 17 “points of concern” relating to Pakistan relations with the United States and to the public’s level of satisfaction with the present governance as well as what the nation’s response to drone attacks should be.

Responses to the questionnaire can be submitted online, via telephone, email, by regular postal service or in special drop boxes set up at all MQM offices countrywide, said party officials. Once completed, the MQM will present the results of the referendum to the nation.

MQM chief Altaf Hussain has called on all political and religious parties to unite for the prosperity of the country and participate in the public referendum, said Qaimkhani.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2011.