Pakistan-US relations: JuD chief wants referendum

Hafiz Saeed sends letters to parliamentarians, calls on them to 'break away from party policy'.

KARACHI: Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed has sent letters to members of parliament calling on them to “break from party policy” and make a decision keeping “Pakistan’s future in mind”. He has also asked for a ‘referendum’ to understand what Pakistan’s people want.

The letter, which is in the context of the current debate in the parliament on recommendations on foreign policy and US-Pakistan relations, offers five main points:

Firstly, Saeed states, that it would be a dangerous step for the parliament to amend and accept the alleged secret agreements between the US and Pakistan made during General (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s regime. It compares the agreements to those between the East India Company and Mughal leaders, and says this would lead the way to ‘American and European slavery’.

He argues that reopening Nato supply routes would “damage relations with China” and that the government should not reverse the steps taken after the attack on the Salala check post. He also claims that offering India trade routes would affect the China-Pakistan relationship.

Saeed says that if the attacks on Nato containers continue after the government reopens routes, the US/Nato forces will use this as a pretext to send its forces into Pakistan. He also alleges that the US has never respected any agreements with Pakistan or parliamentary resolutions, and says that the US wants to continue drone strikes which will lead to suicide attacks in Pakistan.

A copy of the letter can be seen here.