Pakistani expats hail end of Musharraf era

MAJORITY of Pakistanis in Qatar yesterday expressed jubilation and relief at the resignation of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf as president.

The relief was at an uncertain and turbulent period in the history of Pakistan, ending gracefully.

The jubilance was owing to the beginning of a new era, “a democratic era not tainted by a dictator”, they said.

“The leech hung on to powers too long. It was about time the doctor sent packing,” said Ghulam Yousuf, a businessman.

“For a while, we had stopped celebrating our national and independence days here in Doha because we had no reasons to rejoice. But that has all changed now,” said Yousuf, who also heads a Pushtoon-literary organisation, Pak Pashto Adbi Carvan.

“On October 12, 1999, when Musharraf came to national TV after staging a coup against a democratically-elected government, he started lying to the public. Yesterday, when the impetuous gentleman resigned, the speech turned out to be a pack of lies again. That’s nine years of incessant deception of 165mn people,” Yousuf said.

“I come from the Mohmand Agency in the Tribal Area, and awful things that took place under this guy in my area need to be corrected by the government immediately. There should be a debate in the parliament on Pakistan’s role in this so-called ‘war on terrorism’ and a new policy must be chalked out,” said Yousuf.

“It’s time my brothers in Afghanistan and Pakistan enjoy a period of stability, provided the coalition government starts to comprehend the enormity of the grave situation we are in,” he added.

Qazi Mohamed Asghar, president of Pak Youth Society said: “To be free and breathe the air of a great democratic republic… it is an awesome feeling. Close to a decade of haze has finally lifted.”

Asghar dismissed notions that Pakistan People’s Party leader, Asif Zardari and Muslim League’s head Nawaz Sharif, who are major allies in the government, are already tired and tested kleptomaniacs.”

“I have a feeling that they have both learned their lessons. Democracy was never allowed to take roots in the country. Both has publicly signed a charter of democracy and now work together to implement the beautiful document; restore the deposed judges; allow an independent judiciary; make the parliament the supreme institution in the country and so on.”

“There also needs to be a law, that calls for the equality of all citizens: Muslims, Hindus and Christians of Pakistan; that inculcates the essence of our nation’s ideology and that offers human dignity to all the ethnic groups of the country.”

“The next president should represent the federation and preferably be chosen with a national consensus,” he noted.

Yasmin Haseeb, a former teacher, however, had a different take on Musharraf’s resignation and called for precaution.

“You asked for a national reconciliation, he (Musharraf) did that. You asked for a free-and-fair elections, he held them. You wanted him to leave, he left. And the statesman left with grace,” Haseeb said.

“People who point to Musharraf’s delusion of grandeur are mistaken. Politicians all hail from the same lot. They don’t realise that he was a blessing for Pakistan, a statesman.”

“You go to any Pakistani house and witness the trickle-down effect. Every Pakistani household is loaded with A/Cs, microwaves, and all the latest gadgets. He created new industries, big and small.”

“Best of all he gave the youth a new direction. This was a leader that the new generation was proud of. He was blunt, honest and sincere to Pakistan. His departure, no doubt, has left a gaping void, that won’t be easy to fill,” she felt.

Haroon Rashid, a banker welcomed the news. “Today reminded me of 1969, when another dictator, Gen Ayub Khan stepped down. People were ecstatic. That day and today have a lot of similarities,” he recalled.

“Whatever Musharraf did, only history will tell. This chapter has been closed and the nation needs to move on.”

“However, this is not the time to rejoice for long. We quickly need a president, a non-political figure, say, the nuclear hero, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan. We also need to strengthen our institutions, including the parliament, judiciary and else. Only going this route can we bring a lasting changes for our future generations.”

Umer Khan, senior engineer, Descon Engineering Qatar also enthusiastically registered his joy over the resignation by Musharraf.

“I’m very happy. It would have been better if the General presented himself in the parliament and admitted his mistakes to the nation yesterday. But instead he gave a delusional speech that conveniently ignored all the allegations against him and his crimes against the Pakistani people and the state.”

“He also kept giving trumped up figures on his apparent economic successes that we never saw. The guy needed to be given a reality check even yesterday.”

“But I’m glad it’s over. The need of the hour is to address long-standing grievances of the masses and log-term design of policies be discussed. There should be talk about reforms on all levels with a progressively-minded group of people onboard.”

“The country has some of the largest resources in the world. What is stopping us from being a leader in the international order? I understand that people claimed Pakistan will disappear from the world map within years of gaining independence, but it is still standing after turbulent periods after periods. And therein lies our strength,” said Khan.

Prominent Indian expatriate and long-time Doha resident Hasan Chougule termed Musharraf’s resignation as a wise circumstantial decision and an honourable exit.

“If the present ruling parties bond together Pakistan will improve and prosper economically, but if the infighting continues it may lead to anarchy,” he observed.

Chougule also remarked that it would have been better for the stability of Pakistan had Musharraf remained civil president till a party with majority public mandate could come to power.

A Doha resident of three decades, Indian expatriate Ravi Narayan (Mannai Corporation’s financial controller) said he would have been happy had Musharraf continued. “I say this because Musharraf was trying to some extent to control terrorists and I doubt if the others would be able to even that,” added Narayan.

Hassan al-Jifairi, a Qatari businessman said: “I do not expect Pakistan to move towards stability after Musharraf’s exit because his substitute would not be as open-minded as himself,” he said.

“I think that all those who are influential in the Pakistani parties will not be better than Musharraf. Democracy cannot thrive in a country where some of the political parties use the religion as a tool to monopolise the poor people,” he added.