LAHORE, Aug 18: Politicians gathered on the steps of the Punjab Assembly to raise slogans and distribute sweets to themselves in celebration of President Gen (retd) Musharraf’s resignation here on Monday, though the news brought only lukewarm reactions from the public.Provincial Assembly Speaker Rana Iqbal from the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) called the day “historic” and compared its significance with Pakistan’s Independence Day on Aug 14, 1947. He said the people owe a debt of gratitude to Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari. He added that more than 80 per cent of the people supported Musharraf’s decision to resign and added that any further actions against Musharraf lay in coalition leaders’ hands.

Law Minister Sanaullah Khan (PML-N) expressed joy at the end of “illegal occupancy” of President’s House. He said: “Today, dictatorship has been vanquished for all time. Where democratic norms prevail, the solutions to our economic problems will follow.” He said that he now saw “no obstacle” for the restoration of the judges.

Azma Bokhari, member of the Punjab Assembly (PPP) said: “It’s the day the whole of Pakistan has been waiting for. Like Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said ‘democracy is the best revenge’. It sends out a clear message: the time for dictatorship is forever over.”

While the air rang out with cries of “Wazir-i-Azam, Nawaz Sharif” (Nawaz Sharif for Prime Minister), “Musharraf ko phansi do”(Hang Musharraf), workers from the Labour Party and Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party also joined the fray and waved flags and placards.

Earlier, dozens of lawyers, students belonging to the Student Action Committee (SAC) and ordinary citizens gathered outside the Lahore High Court to celebrate the President’s departure. They reconvened at 6pm in the evening to stage a further protest, calling for the timely restoration of the pre-Nov 3 judiciary and urged “Musharraf ka safe passage na manzoor” (Safe passage for Musharraf is not acceptable). Rana Asadullah, secretary of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, hailed Musharraf’s resignation a “great step towards the establishment of democracy” which demonstrated that his actions of Nov 3 were “illegal, unconstitutional and void”.

He said lawyers were against granting safe passage to Musharraf and said he must be tried under article 6 of the constitution for high treason.

At the press club, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf and the Islami Jamiat Talba (IJT) took out celebratory rallies, while the IJT also held a rally at the Punjab University Old Campus on Mall Road where they distributed sweets. Zahid Naveed, the Punjab University IJT nazim, reiterated the message that Musharraf must not be given safe passage as the crimes he had committed were “unparalleled in history”, while PTI President Punjab Ahsan Rashid said Musharraf “should not be forgiven for policies that brought the country to the verge of destruction”.

GENERAL PUBLIC: Reactions among ordinary citizens were more muted, with most expressing cautious optimism. Traffic along some of the city’s busiest roads was minimal during the course of Musharraf’s speech as millions stayed home to watch television.

Muhammad Waqas, a rickshaw driver on The Mall, said Musharraf’s reign had seen a huge increase in unemployment and inflation and said he had hope the government would now take steps to bring relief to the poor. He said he hoped Nawaz Sharif becomes the next president.

Wasim Ahmad, a computing student shopping at a bookstore on The Mall, said: “His resignation was long overdue. Musharraf’s policies early were good for the country but he should have resigned by 2005.”

He said the raid of Lal Masjid and the removal of chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry had turned public sentiments irrevocably against Musharraf. Kashif, a fellow student, said Musharraf’s resignation would bring no net-gain for the country if Asif Zardari assumed the presidency.