Aug 19, 2008

Sindh: Musharraf’s Resignation Hailed


Sample ImageCelebrations and street dancing in Sindh upon the resignation of Pervez Musharraf.

Below is an article published by The International News Pakistan :

There was an outbreak of celebrations in every nook and corner of the interior Sindh, including Hyderabad and other towns, on Monday [18 August 2008] soon after the announcement of the resignation by Pervez Musharraf.

Rallies were taken out amid slogans of "Jeay Bhutto" by the PPP workers, who thronged outside the press club and danced to the tunes of the party songs. They chanted slogans against Musharraf and in support of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari. The charged activists also distributed sweets among the citizens at various places. Aerial firing was also reported at some places as part of celebrations on the historic occasion.

Despite the unofficial holiday on account of the Shab-e-Barat, there was lot of rush on different streets and areas of the city. Sweetmeat marts carried out good business. Workers of the PML-N took out a rally on the resignation of Musharraf and paid tributes to the struggle of Nawaz Sharif.

The Jamaat-e-Islami also took out a rally which culminated outside the press club. JI's Sindh chief Asadullah Bhutto and other local leaders attended the rally. They termed August 18 [2008] a day of victory for the nation.

Nationalist parties and civil society organisations welcomed the resignation of the president and demanded of the ruling coalition the early reinstatement of the superior judiciary.Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) chief Sahibzada Abulkhair Muhammad Zubair said the nation should offer thanksgiving prayers at the end of the dictatorial regime of Musharraf.

In a statement, he said his party remained a part of the struggle and movement against Musharraf with other political forces and lawyers.In a statement, Sindh Minister and PPP Hyderabad President Zahid Bhurguri and other local PPP leaders welcomed the resignation of Musharraf and paid rich tributes to the struggle of late Benazir Bhutto.

PML-F Sindh General Secretary Nawab Rashid Ali Khan also welcomed the resignation of Musharraf and hoped that the ruling coalition would take measures to contain the lawlessness and the price hike. The South Asia Lawyers Forum demanded that Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed should be nominated as the president after the resignation of Musharraf.

Imtiaz Hussain adds from Khairpur: Political workers of the PPP and the PML-N celebrated the resignation of the president across the district. PML-N activists took out a rally from the Al-Ghous House. They set ablaze the effigy of Musharraf at the Civic Centre. They termed the resignation of Musharraf a great achievement of the democratic forces and also demanded his trial and arrest.

PPP workers in Ranipur, Fiaz Gunj, Thari Mirwah and Khairpur also took out rallies. They said with the resignation of Musharraf, the credibility of the democratic parties had boosted. They added that one man had played a deadly game with the nation through his wrong policies, demanding a severe punishment for Musharraf.

Activists were chanting slogans in favour of the print and electronic media because, according to them, the media had developed pressure on the democratic forces for the impeachment move against the president.

Badal Mallah adds from Larkana: The PPP, Larkana chapter, took out a rally under the leadership of Barkat Shaikh and others to celebrate the resignation of the president. Participants marched from the Kennedy Market to the Jinnah Bagh Chowk where a large number of party leaders, workers and citizens gathered.

People were jubilant and dancing over the resignation. The PPP workers distributed sweets among the people. They also chanted slogans of "Zinda Hai Bhutto Zinda Hai. "The Sunni Tehreek also celebrated the moment and distributed sweets among the people.

Dr Mumtaz Uqaili adds from Thatta: People remained glued to TV sets, watching the speech of Pervez Musharraf here on Monday [18 August 2008]. Immediately after the resignation, a survey conducted on roads and bazaars revealed that the people in general expressed a sigh of relief on the announcement of resignation by Musharraf.

In Sujawal, several people distributed sweets and expressed joy on roads and streets. However, almost every citizen talked about the high prices of essential commodities, joblessness and the worsening law and order situation.

They said previously, the political parties in power were holding Musharraf responsible for all the odds but now they had to prove that they could deliver good governance because they had been voted to power by the people.

Anwar Shaikh adds from Nawabshah: People became jubilant here on Monday when they heard the news of the resignation of Musharraf. A large number of PPP workers and well-wishers arrived at the Zardari House where they danced to the beat of drums and sweets were distributed.

Meanwhile, the PML-N workers gathered at their office here and congratulated each other.Sweets were distributed in different areas of the city while rallies were taken out in Nawabshah, Daur, Sakrand, Qazi Ahmed and other towns of the district.

The Jamaat-e-Islami leaders declared the resignation the victory of 160 million people of the country.The PPP took out a large rally, which was led by PPP Taluka President Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar and TMA Nazim Khan Bahadur Dahri. Participants marched through various streets of the city and chanted slogans in favour of Faryal Talpur as the next president.

Ghulam Mustafa Tagar adds from Naushahro Feroze: The activists of the PPP took out a rally here on Monday in jubiliation over the resignation by Pervez Musharraf. The rally started from the Bhurit House and ended at the Naushahro Feroze Press Club. It was led by PPP Naushahro Feroze President Ubaidullah Rajpar and others. They distributed sweets and carried out aerial firing to celebrate the occasion.