August 19, 2008	Tuesday	Sha’aban 16, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Aug 18: While Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani termed Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s resignation on Monday a historic event marking parliament’s sovereignty, most members of the National Assembly strongly opposed allowing the ‘dictator’ to leave the country and demanded his trial under Article 6 of the Constitution.

It was a day of embarrassment for pro-Musharraf lawmakers who appeared helpless to respond to the onslaught of treasury members and anyone of them trying to speak in his support was ridiculed and shouted down.

A number of PML-Q members tried to be siding with the treasury at times, but Sardar Bahadur Sihar was at his best, holding Gen (retd) Musharraf responsible for all the ills the country had been facing for nine years.

There was jubilation in the house over the sudden exit of Gen (retd) Musharraf and PML-N’s Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan appealed to the chair to ‘leave alone’ the agenda of the day and allow the members to express their sentiments.

He said that days of the dictator were over and people were offering ‘thanksgiving prayers’ and distributing sweets. The President House, which had turned into a ‘conspiracy den’, had been cleansed.

The prime minister said: “The sun of democracy has risen today and the era of dictatorship is over forever.”

He said the country needed an independent and neutral Election Commission which could even stop a sitting prime minister from contesting elections.

Mr Gilani said: “I am not bitter about those who incarcerated me and I forgive them today.” However, he pointed out that the departure of a dictator had put politicians to the biggest test to prove that political governments were better than dictatorship.

“We never accepted the 17th Amendment nor 58(2)b as genuine changes in the Constitution and we will go for striking a balance between the offices of the prime minister and the president.”

Mr Gilani said the present government wanted to work with all political forces and appealed to the opposition to join hands at this critical time.

Earlier, PML-N leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi paid tribute to Benazir Bhutto and said she had persuaded “us not to boycott the elections and as result of which we have been able to bury dictatorship today”.

He said the nation had rejected the rule of generals and urged the government to reinstate all the deposed judges without any further delay.

“We also need to set free and restore the prestige of incarcerated nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan who has done a lot for the nation.”

ANP leader Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour greeted the coalition leadership for showing the ‘dictator’ the door and putting the country on road to democracy.

Sher Mohammad Baloch of the PPP called for Gen (retd) Musharraf’s trial and making him an example for others.

PML-Q’s Amir Muqam welcomed Gen (retd) Musharraf’s decision to step down and said the step was in the interest of the country. However, he said the exit of the general had put the new dispensation in a tough test to solve people’s problems and restore the deposed judges.

Tehmina Daultana of the PML-N said that Gen (retd) Musharraf should be tried so that no adventurer could derail democracy in future. “Musharraf should not be allowed to leave the country and if he escapes the wrath of law, every prisoner has the right to be free without trial.”

Marvi Memon of the PML-Q said her party stood by the outgoing president. She said that whatever Mr Musharraf had done over the past nine years was in the best interest of the nation.

Captain Safdar of the PML-N opposed ‘safe exit’ for the former president and said: “He should be hanged along with all those who supported him.”