ISLAMABAD, Jan 17: Since early Saturday morning all roads leading to the Parliament House had been sealed. And it remained so until the Presidential entourage arrived after two decoys.

The whole city, not just the Parliament House, appeared tense, nervous. Everybody knew that the Opposition would not let President Pervez Musharraf deliver his address to the joint sitting without protest. Suspense was, however, about the extent and the mode of the protest.

A whirlwind of whispers seemed to swirl with everybody wondering as to what might occur if something bizarre happened: What message it would relay to the host of envoys, particularly the American Ambassador, Nancy Powell, sitting in the galleries? Most important, how would the President respond to a possible showdown in his first exposure to Parliament? There was fear in the air. Some speculated that Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Irshad Hassan Khan was there to prepare disqualification cases against prominent delinquents. Others construed the presence of National Accountability Bureau Chief Lt-Gen Munir Hafeez as meaningful. The major concern, however, remained: "Would the Opposition cross the line?" It mattered because the President also happened to be the Chief of the Army Staff. An insult against his person would have a definite bearing on the Army as an institution.

The anxiety grew when Musharraf failed to emerge from the Speaker's Chambers even after 30 minutes past the scheduled time of 11am. And when he finally appeared, he seemed visibly distraught. He remained standing when he was supposed to sit with the National Assembly Speaker and sat down when he was to stand up when the the national anthem was being played. He sweated profusely, perhaps because of a life jacket that he wore underneath his off- white sherwani. But this could also be because of the mayhem before him.

The entire Opposition got electrified to action the moment the President went to the podium. While the MMA, minus Prof Sajid Mir, walked out, the ARD along with Asfand Yar Wali's ANP, Mahmood Khan Achakzai's PMAP and Imran Khan wailed itself hoarse by constant hooting. There ensued a non-stop show of constant booing and jeering that also saw occasional bouts of catcalls. And yet some thought that the Opposition was relatively tamed. Many noticed that Opposition firebrands, particularly the deadly duo of Khawajas, Asif and Saad Rafiq, were uncharacteristically restrained. PPP's Amin Fahim, Naveed Qamar and Aitezaz Ahsan were also subdued.

PML-N's Tehmina Daultana and PPP's Khurshid Shah could not make it because of flight delays, but not many were willing to give them the benefit of doubt. Definitely, the protest was much controlled than what Mr Ghulam Ishaq had to endure When Ms Benazir Bhutto led her party's chorous of 'go-baba-go' during the Presidential address.

But the commotion was much more than any uniformed President had ever confronted in the country's history. Old timers recalled that the late Ziaul Haq was shouted at only once when PPP MPA Fazal Hussain Rahi stood up to challenge the entry of a uniformed president at the centenary celebrations of the Punjab Assembly in 1987. It was much more this time around.

While governors, chief ministers and top government officials watched in silence, the opposition created history by booing down the President-cum-COAS like never before. Some had posters with inscriptions, saying, "Down with the government of Generals, Colonels". Another read: "The traitor of Constitution deserves death." The slogans were even harsher. The President had to bear with constant shouting of "Go-Musharraf-go" rhymed with "go-dictator-go." PML-N's Saadia Abbasi, closely followed by an Abbassi from Sindh, Dr Safdar, was prominently active in leading the slogans. Such was their bedlam that most journalists in the galleries could not hear the President's speech.

A group of opposition women led by Nahid Khan even tried to approach the President physically. It was hard to guess their intentions as a group of Treasury stalwarts, including some prime ministerial hopefuls, jumped to shield the President from the female marauders. At this stage, Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool almost stood up seeming to intervene from the galleries. The President was quick to stage his departure, but not before raising his fists towards the Opposition.

The Maulanas of MMA were in similar straits. They seemed confused as they were neither with the government, nor against it. Jamaat Chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad failed to turn up, Maulana Samiul Haq sat with the ARD and Sajid Mir refused to join them in boycott. When grilled intensely by newsmen, one of their members roughed up a journalist. The MNA from Karak was later brought up for seeking forgiveness.