Shahbaz Sharif used aggressive language against Asif Zardari and called him ‘Ali Baba’ and his colleagues as ‘forty thieves’ whom people would throw out. — Photo by PPI

LAHORE, Oct 28: The Pakistan Muslim League-N threw down the gauntlet to President Asif Zardari on Friday: tender resignation or face the lynch mob. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif took acerbity and fiery rhetoric to its limits in his denunciation of the president, winning thunderous ovation from a charged crowd.

Mr Shahbaz laced his speech with all ingredients needed for firing up a public meeting: accusations of sleaze, insults, poetry and talk of the gallows.

The chief minister’s explicit message to President Zardari was: “Resign and return looted national wealth. Otherwise, my comrades will hang you upside down at Bhati Chowk.”

To old-timers, the last threat brought back memories of Air Marshal Asghar Khan’s warning to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1977 of hanging him from the Attock bridge.

“Notice how they are cursing you. Surrender to the court of people, otherwise they will teach you a lesson,” he told the president.

He led a chorus of ‘go Zardari, go’ and said parliament would hold the president accountable.

“In that case you will not find any place to hide,” he warned the president. Failing that, the Punjab chief minister predicted a popular countrywide uprising against Mr Zardari.

He said Nawaz Sharif had earlier “tolerated Mr Zardari for the sake of democracy”.

“But our restraint was taken as a weakness. Now Nawaz Sharif and all his party men have decided to get rid of the president,” he said.

According to the original PML-N plan, the procession was to be taken out from Nasser Bagh and terminated at Bhati Chowk.

But the participants concentrated on the chowk where Mr Sharif was to make his speech.

Extraordinary security arrangements were made on the occasion.

Mounted police patrolled streets leading to the venue and plainclothesmen threw a ring of security around the dais. Sniffer dogs and security gates were used to screen people.

Entrance from alleys and streets was blocked with razor-edged barbed wires.

The solid waste department of the city district government kept roads neat and clean.

Police officers said the entire Lahore police, traffic wardens and reserves in uniform or plainclothes had been deployed at the meeting for security.

The opposition alleged the rally participants included government servants of various departments like those of the city district government.

But some other sources said that a majority of participants had been brought here by PML-N politicians from other towns across Punjab.

The PML-N described the meeting as a great success.

The party spokesperson, Pervaiz Rashid, said the attendance was overwhelming and the participants were PML-N workers from Lahore.

He said that it was not possible to force the government servants to attend the rally in the presence of a closely watching media.

Mr Rashid said the participants were motivated by local MNAs and MPAs to attend the rally.“They have been preparing for this for the last 10 days,” he remarked.

The PML-N activists carried party flags, banners and placards.

They raised slogans against the president accusing him of being involved in corruption and economic mismanagement.

Igniting their emotions, Mr Shahbaz used aggressive language against Mr Zardari and called him ‘Ali Baba’ and his colleagues as ‘forty thieves’ whom people would throw out.

“You have proved today that people in the country will not allow these intruders to rob the vote bank of Nawaz Sharif,” he said.

He alleged the president had no empathy for the country or its people and was interested only in corruption.

Mr Shahbaz vowed that the war which had started from Lahore would end only after overthrowing Mr Zardari and laying the “foundations of a new Pakistan”.

“We will rid the country of Zardari and his corrupt team in the way our elders had broken free from the clutches of Hindus in 1947,” he said.

He recounted the steps taken by Nawaz Sharif as prime minister, and his own present Punjab government for ‘the welfare of people’ and accused the President of abandoning the nation in every hour of trial.

“Mr Zardari wrote a letter of appreciation when the airspace of Pakistan was violated on May 2, proving that he could be anything but president of the country,” Mr Shahbaz said.

He also held the president and his team responsible for “the deterioration in PIA, Railways and Steel Mills,” and for loadshedding.