Musharraf to move into new sprawling farm house

Residents of the sleepy and pastoral Chak Shahzad area on the outskirts of the Pakistani capital have mixed feelings about their new neighbour  former President Pervez Musharraf. Musharraf, who stepped down in August after staying nearly nine years in power, is expected to soon move into a sprawling farm house he has built in Chak Shahzad, a neighbourhood that has a mix of residential homes and dairy farms.

While some residents are happy that Musharraf’s shifting to the area has improved civic amenities, others do not have happy memories of his years in power and would rather not see him living in their midst. “While Islamabad and the rest of Pakistan was grappling with long power cuts throughout this summer, we did not have a single power cut in Chak Shahzad,” said Umair, a resident of the area who was unwilling to give his full name.

“I heard that Musharraf sahab came to visit his farm house one day when there was a power cut. He told the authorities that there should not be any more power cuts and we enjoyed uninterrupted power supply after that,” Umair, a businessman whose home is located near the former military ruler’s farm house said.

However, another man living in the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “We are not happy to have a dictator living in our midst. This is the man who is responsible for Pakistan’s economic problems and the widespread violence.

“Musharraf is the man who was responsible for the killings in Lal Masjid and all the bloodshed. We would rather not have him as our neighbour.”

(Agencies)

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