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Journalism of Courage
The News August 19 covers the reactions of various sections of Pakistani society to Musharraf8217;s resignation. Reporting political responses, the paper quotes Nawaz Sharif calling the resignation a 8220;victory for the people of Pakistan8221;. 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 Musharraf8217;s speech as a 8220;bundle of lies8221;.
Another PML-N leader, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, said that 8220;all political parties, civil society and lawyers deserved credit for forcing Musharraf to resign8221;. 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, 8220;the majority of people interviewed by 8216;The News8217; 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.8221;
Economic cheer
And it8217;s not just Pakistani politicians and citizens who were jubilant at Musharraf8217;s resignation 8212; so was the Karachi stock exchange. Dawn reports that 8220;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-bank8221;.
Clean getaway?
Dawn August 19 quotes Supreme Court Bar Association president Aitzaz Ahsan stating that 8220;former president Pervez Musharraf should be tried for 8216;his crimes8217;8221;. 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 8220;main impediment8221; to Pakistan8217;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: 8220;Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Ali Awad Esseiri was quoted by the Okaz newspaper as saying that reports about the plane were 8216;baseless8217; and 8216;media lies8217;8221;. 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: 8220;Our desire to see him treated with respect will always be the case8230;8221; 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 Musharraf8217;s exit 8212; 8220; 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 recovery8230;8221;.
Tasneem Siddiqui in an aptly worded opinion piece titled 8220;Impeach the system8221; 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.
