LAHORE - The Muttahida Qaumi Movement will invite even the military leadership to the Round Table Conference it plans to hold to discuss internal and external threats to the country and to work out a joint strategy to avert them.
An MQM leader told TheNation on Wednesday that the security situation was much graver than was in the knowledge of the people and urgent measures were needed to handle it.
The MQM has already held talks with the PPP, Jamaat-i-Islami, PML-Q and the Awami National Party and received a positive response from all of them. Contacts with the PML-N and the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf are also being made and meetings with the leaders of the two parties would be held in the near future.
These contacts are not aimed at delaying the elections.
“Elections are not on the agenda of the talks the MQM is holding with other parties,” he said.
Asked to elaborate the dangers the MQM thinks can land Pakistan into a difficult situation, he said the presence of US ships, laden with arms, near Gwadar should not be underestimated. “They are not there for a pleasure trip,” he said.
In his opinion, the situation in Balochistan is just like the one that had led to the dismemberment of Pakistan in 1971.
He said the worsening situation demanded that the national leadership should approach the Baloch leaders and accept all their demands without any reservations. “They should be given more than their due share to ensure the integrity of Pakistan.”
Asked why the initiative for the RTC had not been taken by the PPP leadership which was the senior partner of the ruling coalition, he said great initiatives are taken by great leaders, not bigger parties.
He said Altaf Hussain was aware of the situation facing Pakistan and it was he who had directed his party leaders to make arrangements for an RTC.
“A divided nation cannot defeat the enemy.”
Replying to a question, he said the RTC was likely to be held after Ramazan. However, it could be held even before, subject to willingness of all invitees. In response to another question, he said urgent steps were needed on the Balochistan situation also because the next elections were expected to lead to a hung parliament, where no one would be able to take serious decisions. “And maybe, by then it’s too late.”
He said decisions taken at the RTC could be given constitutional protection.