London:
Instead of cheers, Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf was greeted with protests at the launch of his new party in Manchester, where activists shouted slogans against him calling him a "traitor".
The launch of his All Pakistan Muslim League before a packed gathering in Manchester over the weekend followed similar events in London and Birmingham.
Reports from Manchester said nearly 2,000 people were packed into Manchester's Sheridan Suite, where he launched his party with the objective of restoring a new political culture in a troubled Pakistan, despite protests inside and outside the building.
After a musical start with positive images of the former president's vision for Pakistan under his new party, Musharraf had barely begun to speak when the first protester began shouting, calling him a "traitor."
Seven more protesters stood up one by one to accuse Musharraf of corruption while in power, failure to institutionalise democracy and said the people of Pakistan were waiting for a real change for the country through the implementation of 'caliphate' state.
The reports quoted one of the protesters, Mohammed Kassim, as saying: "I stood up very close to the stage, almost face-to-face with Musharraf, and started to speak out.
Musharraf, the former general was taken back and moved away from the microphone, startled and clearly visibly shaken.
I called him a traitor, and said that I wanted a caliphate for Pakistan."
The protesters were reportedly mainly from the Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain.
The launch event was further marred by chanting and slogan shouting as pictures of Musharraf were ripped, the reports said.
The protesters were then escorted out by security.
Addressing the gathering, Musharraf said the protests would not deter him from his goals.
He said he should have remained Chief of Army Staff for another five years and added that he would return to Pakistan for the next general elections, scheduled for 2013.
The launch of his All Pakistan Muslim League before a packed gathering in Manchester over the weekend followed similar events in London and Birmingham.
Reports from Manchester said nearly 2,000 people were packed into Manchester's Sheridan Suite, where he launched his party with the objective of restoring a new political culture in a troubled Pakistan, despite protests inside and outside the building.
After a musical start with positive images of the former president's vision for Pakistan under his new party, Musharraf had barely begun to speak when the first protester began shouting, calling him a "traitor."
Seven more protesters stood up one by one to accuse Musharraf of corruption while in power, failure to institutionalise democracy and said the people of Pakistan were waiting for a real change for the country through the implementation of 'caliphate' state.
The reports quoted one of the protesters, Mohammed Kassim, as saying: "I stood up very close to the stage, almost face-to-face with Musharraf, and started to speak out.
Musharraf, the former general was taken back and moved away from the microphone, startled and clearly visibly shaken.
I called him a traitor, and said that I wanted a caliphate for Pakistan."
The protesters were reportedly mainly from the Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain.
The launch event was further marred by chanting and slogan shouting as pictures of Musharraf were ripped, the reports said.
The protesters were then escorted out by security.
Addressing the gathering, Musharraf said the protests would not deter him from his goals.
He said he should have remained Chief of Army Staff for another five years and added that he would return to Pakistan for the next general elections, scheduled for 2013.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
