LAHORE, April 26: Like political analysts and legal experts, men in the street too shared their opinions about the Supreme Court judgement in the contempt case against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

In a wagon near the railway station, a middle-aged man loudly congratulated his caller on the cell phone and informed his fellow commuters:

“The Supreme Court did not award any punishment to the prime minister. He is not going to jail.” “The court has convicted the prime minister and he will eventually have to leave his office,” another man sitting behind responded.

“A convicted man always ends up in jail,” said the first man. “The whole trial was fixed one and aimed at diverting out attention from the real issues,” yet another commuter joined the discussion but the driver intervened: “No political debate please.”

On Fareed Kot Road, a vendor was telling the other: “Waddi Kutcheri walian pehlay Gilani Sahib nao phansi ghat tay khalar ditta tae hun thaloan phatta wi kich litta way (The highest court of law first made Gilani stand on the gallows and now have pulled away the lag under his feet).”

The only concern of the labourers on Multan Road near Sabzi Mandi was whether or not they would be able to earn their livelihood daily after the decision. — Zaheer Mahmood Siddiqui