LAHORE, April 9: President Gen Pervez Musharraf visited the mausoleum of poet-philosopher Allama Iqbal on Tuesday soon after arrival in the provincial capital from Islamabad.

He was accompanied by Governor Khalid Maqbool and Corps Commander Lt-Gen Zarrar Azeem.

The president laid a wreath at the mazar of the poet and offered fateha.

Later, he visited the shrine of the patron saint of the Punjab, Hazrat Data Sahib, and laid a wreath at the grave.

He prayed for the prosperity and progress of the country, and for the freedom of occupied Muslim territories including Kashmir.

When the president came out from the Data Darbar, people raised slogans in his favour. He mingled with the cheering crowds and exchanged greetings with them

MEETINGS: President Musharraf has expressed the firm hope that the referendum would usher in a new era and bury the past marked with corrupt practices of politicians and rulers.

He was speaking to political leaders of the PML-QA, the Millat Party, the Pakistan Awami Tehrik, the Tehrik-i-Insaaf and minorities.

They included Sardar Farooq Khan Leghari, Malik Meraj Khalid, Prof Dr Tahirul Qadri, Mian Azhar, Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri.

Federal Information Minister Nisar A Memon, provincial ministers and Lahore city district Nazim Mian Aamer were also present.

The president said the decision was not an impulsive one nor was it based on any personal interest.

“We have to correct the mismanagement particularly of the last 12 years when the country’s foreign debt which had fallen to $14 billion and had now been raised to $38 billion.”

Gen Musharraf said that his presence as president in the future politics would ensure harmony between the elected assembly and presidency as democracy would become more deep-rooted in the country in next five years.

The politicians present on the occasion assured their all-out support to make the referendum a success.—APP