Islamabad, Mar 24 : Within six months of his resignation and being declared one of the most hated men in Pakistan, former President Pervez Musharraf spent Pakistan Day participating in a bridge tournament at the Islamabad Club, in a setting of almost no special security.

Oblivious of the tensions and insecurity that his 10-year term of power have unleashed on the rest of the nation, the former dictator was relaxed, enjoying the company of his friends, playing cards and exchanging jokes.

The News reports there was no one to stop or check the identity or purpose of entry into the room, which was almost open to anyone.

A bureaucrat present on the occasion remarked: "Hardly within six months of his dramatic resignation, Musharraf is once again a free man as he was before staging the coup on Oct 12, 1999."

Musharraf had no worry about the repeated warnings of Interior Adviser Rehman Malik that there was a big chance of suicide bombing or terrorist activity in Islamabad, which also turned out to be partly true on Monday, almost at the same time when the retired general walked out of the card room.

One visitor of the club observed that Musharraf was enjoying his life, because his successors had surpassed him in becoming unpopular within six months.

Musharraf inaugurated the card tournament in the Islamabad Club, accompanied by his friend Tariq Aziz, who was the only person worried about his security, as he was seen actively guarding the main gate of the card room.

"Look, Tariq Aziz is the only commando who is guarding his friend in the card room gate without any fear of any threat to the former president," one onlooker said. (ANI)