MANSEHRA: Members of civil society, traders and tribal elders on Saturday held demonstrations in Manshera, Kohat, Bajaur tribal district and Haripur in support of former president retired Gen Pervez Musharraf while opposing his conviction by a special court in a high treason case.

In Mansehra, the members of civil society blocked the Karakoram Highway for about an hour to express solidarity with the former president. The rally was taken out from Laborkot Road and the participants assembled at College Doraha area after marching on KKH.

The protesters were holding banners and raised slogans in support of Mr Musharraf.

“Pervez Musharraf is a patriotic Pakistani and retired General and he can never indulge in any conspiracy against this motherland,” Mohammad Shahid, a former union council nazim, said while addressing the rally.

In Kohat, the business community and lawyers took out rallies in favour of retired General Pervez Musharraf in Miankhel Bazaar and at martyrs’ square on Saturday, demanding of the judiciary to take back its decision.

The participants said that Pervez Musharraf was seriously ill and giving him such a harsh and unconstitutional punishment was against the principles of human rights.

The business community, led by its president Abid Khan, members of Pakistan Zindabad Movement and lawyers participated in the rally. They said that Musharraf was a hero of the country and the courts should penalise Nawaz Sharif, Asif Zardari and other such persons in high-profile cases.

The participants of the rallies were holding placards and banners in support of retired Gen Musharraf and the Pakistan Army.

In Khar, elders of Mamond tribe on Saturday staged a rally to show their anger at the conviction of the former military ruler by a special court in a high treason case.

Besides elders and Maliks, people from different walks of life also attended the demo held in Inayat Kallay Bazaar. The protesters were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the special court verdict and in support of Pervez Musharraf.

In Haripur, workers of PML-Q youth wing took out a rally to express solidarity with the former president.

The rally started from Jafri House on Sayee Sehaili Road and ended at Siddiqu-i-Akbar Chowk. The speakers on this occasion termed the capital punishment handed down to Pervez Musharraf by the special court a conspiracy against the institutions.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2019