A.Rafay
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LAHORE: There are clear indications to suggest that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) abandoned its much trumpeted plan of holding a countrywide referendum to determine whose Pakistan the people wanted, Quaid-e-Azams or Talibans, following a threat by TTP to target MQM in Karachi.
MQM circles close to Altaf Hussain claim that the plan had only been put off and not discarded. The referendum idea was floated by Altaf Hussain in a telephonic speech from London on October 14, 2012 following the failed assassination attempt on Malala Yousafzai by a TTP shooter.
The MQM chief had asked the people of Pakistan to decide whether they wanted to live in a Pakistan being run by the Taliban or the one that was envisioned by the Quaid-i-Azam. The MQM subsequently announced on October 18 that it would hold a national referendum after Eidul Azha. Days after the speech, the question was also featured on billboards across Karachi. Almost two weeks later, on November 1 Altaf Hussain announced in another address to his workers that he has directed the MQMs Coordination Committee to give an earliest possible date for holding the referendum.
Providing details on how MQM should carry out the referendum, he said that it should be held throughout the country on the same day, between 9am and 5pm, as is the case with the general elections. He added that the counting of votes should be done in the presence of senior retired judges and lawyers and representatives of print and electronic media in each province should be invited to cover the exercise. Altaf appealed to the masses that since Pakistan is passing through a difficult time, they must come forward in large numbers to perform their national duty and vote without any fear or pressure.
A few days later, calling the threat of religious extremism the biggest challenge faced by Pakistan, MQMs deputy convener Farooq Sattar announced that the party has finally decided to hold the nationwide referendum on November 8.
Reacting sharply to the MQMs formal announcement to hold the referendum, the TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan announced on November 3 that the Taliban had decided to target the MQM activists in Karachi.
In an email message to several media outlets, Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed that the TTP was following the teachings of Islamic Shariah and it is obligatory on the TTP militants to fight against the MQM which is spreading secularism. Ehsan said to avenge the killing of innocent citizens of Karachi, the TTP will kill MQM members. He asked the leaders of the Balochistan and Sindh-based separatist organisations - Baloch Liberation Army and Sindh Liberation Army - to continue their struggle for their rights against the government according to the teachings of the Islamic Shariah. His statement showed the real intentions of TTP, which is ready to side with anybody pitted against the state.
The TTP threat apparently raised many an eyebrow within the MQM, with many of the party leaders pleading in private that the decision to hold the referendum on November 8 should be reviewed. Hardly 36 hours after the TTP warning, the MQM Coordination Committee announced through a press release on November 5 that the referendum is being postponed for a week and it would now be held on November 14. But five days later, on November 10, the MQM once again postponed its well-publicised referendum. The partys Coordination Committee announced that the referendum is being delayed out of respect for the month of Muharram, and that the decision had been approved by Altaf Hussain.
But even a month after the postponement of the referendum and the Muharram already over, it appears that the proposed plan has completely been discarded.
According to a senior MQM leader, no new date for the referendum exercise is under consideration of the party leadership, mainly because of the worsening law and order situation in the port city of Karachi. When reminded that the proposed referendum was supposed to be a national exercise which was not to be confined to Karachi alone, the MQM leader said that Karachi is an integral part of Pakistan and a vital national exercise like referendum would remain incomplete without involving Karachi.
TTP threat forced MQM to discard referendum plan - thenews.com.pk
MQM circles close to Altaf Hussain claim that the plan had only been put off and not discarded. The referendum idea was floated by Altaf Hussain in a telephonic speech from London on October 14, 2012 following the failed assassination attempt on Malala Yousafzai by a TTP shooter.
The MQM chief had asked the people of Pakistan to decide whether they wanted to live in a Pakistan being run by the Taliban or the one that was envisioned by the Quaid-i-Azam. The MQM subsequently announced on October 18 that it would hold a national referendum after Eidul Azha. Days after the speech, the question was also featured on billboards across Karachi. Almost two weeks later, on November 1 Altaf Hussain announced in another address to his workers that he has directed the MQMs Coordination Committee to give an earliest possible date for holding the referendum.
Providing details on how MQM should carry out the referendum, he said that it should be held throughout the country on the same day, between 9am and 5pm, as is the case with the general elections. He added that the counting of votes should be done in the presence of senior retired judges and lawyers and representatives of print and electronic media in each province should be invited to cover the exercise. Altaf appealed to the masses that since Pakistan is passing through a difficult time, they must come forward in large numbers to perform their national duty and vote without any fear or pressure.
A few days later, calling the threat of religious extremism the biggest challenge faced by Pakistan, MQMs deputy convener Farooq Sattar announced that the party has finally decided to hold the nationwide referendum on November 8.
Reacting sharply to the MQMs formal announcement to hold the referendum, the TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan announced on November 3 that the Taliban had decided to target the MQM activists in Karachi.
In an email message to several media outlets, Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed that the TTP was following the teachings of Islamic Shariah and it is obligatory on the TTP militants to fight against the MQM which is spreading secularism. Ehsan said to avenge the killing of innocent citizens of Karachi, the TTP will kill MQM members. He asked the leaders of the Balochistan and Sindh-based separatist organisations - Baloch Liberation Army and Sindh Liberation Army - to continue their struggle for their rights against the government according to the teachings of the Islamic Shariah. His statement showed the real intentions of TTP, which is ready to side with anybody pitted against the state.
The TTP threat apparently raised many an eyebrow within the MQM, with many of the party leaders pleading in private that the decision to hold the referendum on November 8 should be reviewed. Hardly 36 hours after the TTP warning, the MQM Coordination Committee announced through a press release on November 5 that the referendum is being postponed for a week and it would now be held on November 14. But five days later, on November 10, the MQM once again postponed its well-publicised referendum. The partys Coordination Committee announced that the referendum is being delayed out of respect for the month of Muharram, and that the decision had been approved by Altaf Hussain.
But even a month after the postponement of the referendum and the Muharram already over, it appears that the proposed plan has completely been discarded.
According to a senior MQM leader, no new date for the referendum exercise is under consideration of the party leadership, mainly because of the worsening law and order situation in the port city of Karachi. When reminded that the proposed referendum was supposed to be a national exercise which was not to be confined to Karachi alone, the MQM leader said that Karachi is an integral part of Pakistan and a vital national exercise like referendum would remain incomplete without involving Karachi.
TTP threat forced MQM to discard referendum plan - thenews.com.pk
