From cosmopolitan Karachi to the frontier city of Peshawar, many Pakistanis appear to have little or no sympathy for the Opposition leaders agitating against the state of Emergency.A straw poll of people from different walks of life found that despite the political rhetoric, they suspected the likes of former Premier and Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto of seeking power for the sake of power.Many of those quizzed by AFP accused the Opposition of trying to fool the population into ushering them back into office.The survey was spontaneous and unscientific but provides an indication of the mood on the ground amid the crisis caused by President Pervez Musharraf's state of Emergency imposed earlier this month."God forbid if they come to power again, they will be fighting each other over their share in government and plunge the country into a new crisis," was how 35-year-old Karachi businessman Aamir Hussain put it."The top Opposition parties have been in government in the past, but they gave this country nothing except anarchy and chaos." He was not alone."These parties are not sincere with the people. They have their own vested interests with no concerns for the poor at all," said Rana Bashir Ahmad, 50, a private security guard in the Central town of Multan."What they actually want is power and nothing but power," said Syed Naeem, 44, a trader in the garrison town of Rawalpindi, near Islamabad."It was their lust for power that allowed Musharraf to play his cards very well," said Israr Ahmad, a 34-year-old engineer in Peshawar.The military ruler, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, declared the state of Emergency on November 3 citing growing Islamic militancy and a meddlesome judiciary.It triggered global outrage and condemnation from Opposition leaders which has not eased despite a promise of general elections by January 9.Hundreds of lawyers, party activists and other protesters have been hauled away by police, Bhutto is under house arrest and cricketer turned politician Imran Khan has been arrested and charged under anti-terrorism legislation."Let us allow Musharraf to hold elections and complete what he calls the third phase of democratic transition," said Farrukh Badar, 50, who works in a Karachi textiles firm.He pointed to corruption allegations that have long surrounded Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, another former Premier and her one-time rival with whom she is now seeking an alliance.Bhutto returned to Pakistan last month following eight years abroad after Musharraf organised an amnesty on corruption charges against her; Sharif leads his Muslim League from exile in Saudi Arabia.Naeem, in Rawalpindi, said people just wanted to get on with life. "We are living in an economic-driven society where the majority of us are concerned about economic progress and social security. They're all trying to fool people. But they will not succeed in deceiving us this time. Somebody should tell them that we want to earn a living for our families and don't want to be dragged into such unnecessary matters," said Rawalpindi car mechanic Raja Gulfam, 27.
