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Dubai: The Pakistani community in Dubai has received news about the government's move to impeach President Pervez Musharraf with guarded optimism amid fears the move could exacerbate the political turmoil in the country.
After the announcement by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday that they had agreed in principle to launch impeachment proceedings against Musharraf, expatriates said they were watching the unfolding political drama with keen interest.
Khawaja Tanvir, director of the Pakistan Business Council, said Musharraf could have avoided things coming to such a pass.
Clear verdict
"There was a clear verdict against Musharraf and his policies after the February elections, and he should have resigned as president respecting the popular mandate. Instead he kept the nation facing the prospect of a deadlock, running a parallel government and trying to uproot the coalition parties," said Tanvir.
Omail Ashraf, an auditor by profession said it was high time Musharraf was held accountable for his actions. "Ever since, he came to power, he has been a hindrance to democracy in Pakistan though he made several promises to hold general elections," he said.
Ashraf said the president had handed over a teetering nation and collapsing economy to the new coalition. "He sowed the seeds of unrest and disintegration. I think my country cannot progress unless Musharraf is impeached and democracy is established," he noted.
Danish Shamim, a relationship manager for a bank, echoed similar sentiments and said he was excited about the news. "At last, it is good news for all lovers of democracy. I am excited. But we need to wait and watch how they will go about it," he said.
"He did not live up to his promises to the people. His rule has only seen an escalation in violence and inflation rates in the country."
Anjum Khan, a networking engineer, said it was sad Musharraf was being impeached and described him as a "committed leader and visionary".
"He might have alligned with the US in the war against terror but that is important to survive in the current world order," he said. Musharraf, he said, was the only leader who had been able to deliver results.
"He brought in economic development, improved bilateral ties with countries like the US, and was very effective in reining in terrorist groups within the country," he said.
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