Re: NS let down by his supporters!
hayn? NS was sent right from the airport from what I gathered and all roads to airport were blocked till few kms so how would've his supporters done anything for him? It doesn't matter if 2 people are standing 5 km away or 10 million, a dictator can send anyone anywhere, period.
NS's supporters and local leadership knew in advance that majority of the roads would be blocked. But did you see thousands or even hundreds of people "testing" these barriers?
Musharraff is apparently unpopular among Pakistanis because it is in our culture to start hating the people in charge and blaming them for everything we miss in our lives after they have had a chance to stay in power for 3-4 years.
But as we have all noticed, Musharraf's unpopularity doesn't translate into the kind of passionate following popular leaders used to enjoy in the 60s/70s/80s/90s. The ordinary 'dukandar' is no longer willing to do the bidding of 'Drawing Room' politicians. If the local leadership wasn't willing to risk arrests and come out themselves, the ordinary 'dukaandars' and 'thelaey walas' shouldn't have to. I am happy for the poor man in Pakistan. They have been a mule for the 'drawing room' politicians too long. Time to ask the sugar-mill politicians to experience some hardships themselves before asking the street people to make sacrifices for them.
Also, the resistance against Musharraf is largely ideological (myself included. I am not PRO Musharraf either when it comes to picking our next government). The lives of ordinary people have improved quite a bit in the last seven years, to the extent that they are not willing drop everything and participate in protests and processions like they used to 15-20 years ago.