NEW YORK, Sept 17: The swanky Roosevelt Hotel which till Friday was the venue for shooting of an Italian film ‘Christmas in New York’ became the focal point of a noisy pro-Musharraf yellow cab rally late Saturday night, just two hours after the president arrived here.

In a rather novel display of solidarity, dozens of Pakistani yellow cab drivers, mostly from Gujrat, showed up on the Madison Avenue where the hotel is located. They enthusiastically waved out Pakistani and American flags as they chanted pro-PML and pro-Musharraf slogans. The cabbies honked all the way as they drove past the hotel. They made sure the honking was loud enough to be registered by the president staying on the 17th floor.

According to one count there were around 80 cabs.

The rally was organised by PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s brother MNA Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain who also made an appearance after the cabbies had done the needful.

Opposition parties and Ana, a coalition of NGOs, have planned demonstrations against the government outside the UN Headquarters during the inaugural session of the 61st General Assembly. President Musharraf will be addressing the General Assembly on Tuesday.—QA