London: President Pervez Musharraf on Monday parlayed with Britain Prime Minister Gordon Brown and promised free and fair elections in Pakistan.
But outside that meeting, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan and ex-wife Jemima came together to protest against Musharraf, accusing the President of strangling democracy in Pakistan.
While the protest was as much against support to Musharraf as against Musharraf himself, the spotlight was on Jemima who arrived first and then on Imran Khan who turned up later, from the opposite side.
“We are protesting against Gordon Brown entertaining a dictator in Pakistan. Across the board everyone wants Musharraf to leave,” Khan said.
But a fair number had turned up also in support of Musharraf leading to something of a slogan contest between the two sides across from 10 Downing Street.
Inside, the Pakistani leader claimed success against al-Qaeda and the Taliban and said he was determined to hold free and fair elections next month.
“We will have elections on Feb 18 and I also informed the Prime Minister what scenario is developing beyond that date. We are very sure that we will have a peaceful transition and will have a strong democratic government following the election,” Musharraf said.
But the stars were on the anti-Musharraf lot, determined to fight political power with people power, and with people support in the West.
“I think we need to appeal to the public opinion in the west, who are probably not as helpless as the leaders who shared with Musharraf some unsavoury actions post September 11,” said rights activist, Asma Jahangir
Imran and Jemima arrived personally separate but politically together. Their togetherness is now seen to revive in joint opposition to a dictator and that in itself is a message and a call to people if not to leaders.
Pakistan heads for an election, among so many other things, with the fractional recall of a fairytale that was.
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