People’s reactions

The News (August 19) covers the reactions of various sections of Pakistani society to Musharraf’s resignation.

The News (August 19) covers the reactions of various sections of Pakistani society to Musharraf’s resignation. Reporting political responses, the paper quotes Nawaz Sharif calling the resignation a “victory for the people of Pakistan”. It goes on to say that Sharif is adamant about not giving a safe exit to Musharraf. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain of the PML-Q welcomed the move, while Imran Khan described Musharraf’s speech as a “bundle of lies”.

Another PML-N leader, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, said that “all political parties, civil society and lawyers deserved credit for forcing Musharraf to resign”. Another report on public reaction in The News describes celebrations on the streets, including the distribution of sweets and dancing. Interestingly, according to the report, “the majority of people interviewed by ‘The News’ were of the opinion that Pervez Musharraf should be tried in court for violating the constitution, killing of hundreds of students of the Jamia Hafsa, killing of Baloch leader Akbar Bugti.”

Economic cheer

And it’s not just Pakistani politicians and citizens who were jubilant at Musharraf’s resignation — so was the Karachi stock exchange. Dawn reports that “an instant reaction was seen in the stock exchange where the trading was brisk that pushed index by 461 points. In the currency market, rupee gained some lustre as its parity with dollar was noted at Rs75.70 in open market and Rs75.60 in inter-bank”.

Clean getaway?

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Dawn (August 19) quotes Supreme Court Bar Association president Aitzaz Ahsan stating that “former president Pervez Musharraf should be tried for ‘his crimes’”. According to another report in Dawn (August 20), while PML-Q members are for a safe exit to Musharraf who left with grace, PML-N leaders feel that he should be punished for his deeds. Ahsan Iqbal of the PML-N was quoted as saying in The News (August 19) that the “main impediment” to Pakistan’s growth had gone.

The world weighs in

A Dawn (August 19) report states that Musharraf will decide where he wants to live after going for his Umra to Saudi Arabia. It speculates that apart from Saudi Arabia other possible destinations for the former president could be the US and Britain. Another report (August 20) says: “Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Ali Awad Esseiri was quoted by the Okaz newspaper as saying that reports about the plane were ‘baseless’ and ‘media lies’”. The Nation (August 20) claims that the president told a forty-member delegation of PML-Q leaders that he would live in Islamabad and not leave the country. Dawn (August 20) quotes a US official as saying: “Our desire to see him treated with respect will always be the case…” The report quotes the official as saying that Musharraf is free to go where he wants to including the US.

Future tense

An editorial in The Nation (August 20) states that much needs to be tackled even after Musharraf’s exit — “ General Musharraf is gone and the ruling coalition is in a state of euphoria. But his departure will not radically improve the situation unless it takes appropriate measures for economic recovery…”.

Tasneem Siddiqui in an aptly worded opinion piece titled “Impeach the system” in Dawn (August 20) says that Musharraf may have gone but the lack of internal democracy in political parties and dynastic politics remain to be dealt with. In addition, deeper judicial reforms are needed.