Students light candles during an anti-Musharraf demonstration in Karachi on Saturday. (AFP)

Islamabad, Nov. 10 (PTI): Around 2,000 youths, who braved batons to join lawyers in protest against emergency rule, have asked President Musharraf to put an end to dictatorship and lift curbs on the media.

“We want President Musharraf to put an end to dictatorship and lift the curbs on the media. If this sense of insecurity continues, who on earth would want to go to a music concert? Musharraf can keep his music, but give democracy,” Zainab Mahmud, a medical student, told The News daily.

“Musicians and actors who are pro-Musharraf have such warped ideas. They need a reality check,” Mahmud, who organised the students’ protest, said.

During Musharraf’s regime scores of music channels, reality TV shows, cineplexes and theatre halls have come up across the country.

Fasi Zaka, a young advertising executive, described the musicians in even stronger words.

“The musicians of Pakistan are not the gutsy firebrands that we see in other countries. They are behaving like courtesans because of the economic benefits during Musharraf’s reigime.

“Let’s just call them entertainers, not artists. The students who went out for the protest may not be artists, but they have integrity. And, from the palette of integrity, comes art eventually,” he said.

Some musicians like Nauman Khalid have backed Musharraf.

“I think the channels were misusing their freedom. If you’re a music channel and start running news flashes then obviously you are pushing boundaries,” he said about the curbs imposed on the media after the emergency was imposed.