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Nine-year itch ends
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Zia and Mush had much in common
He remains our partner: Rice
Pak’s internal matter: Pranab
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Nine-year itch ends
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s decision to resign today brings to an end a tumultuous nine-year reign that thrived with US backing, but succumbed under impeachment threat following the first free and fair elections he conducted after grabbing power in a bloodless coup in 1999.
Musharraf had to cut short his innings in the face of a humiliating impeachment move, but his tenure was in a state of decline ever since he imposed emergency to pre-empt a judicial ruling on his October 2007 re-election, revoked the measure and quit as army chief under intense international and domestic pressure, entering uncharted waters as a civilian president. Sixty-five year old Musharraf, who was once all-powerful in Pakistan, found his nemesis in former premier and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, whom he had overthrown in a bloodless coup on October 12, 1999 and sent into exile a year later. Sharif, who returned to the country from exile, ahead of the February 18 general election, joined forces with rival Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party after her assassination and together with it tossed out the pro-Musharraf PML-Q, setting stage for the President’s ouster. The PPP initially dithered on impeaching Musharraf, but under intense pressure from its ally, announced a move on August 7 to impeach him, bringing charges of misconduct, violation of constitution and financial irregularity. Born on August 11, 1943, in Delhi, Musharraf came into limelight in 1998 when the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointed him army chief on October 7. Musharraf, the longest serving army chief in the country after General Zia-ul-Haq , would never have reached the post but for Sharif, who superseded him over several other officers. Things, however, went wrong between the then Prime Minister Sharif and General Musharraf after the 1999 Kargil conflict between India and Pakistan, as both of them engaged in a blame game over the military misadventure. While Sharif claimed that Musharraf was solely responsible for the Kargil attack, the army chief alleged that PML(N) leader had succumbed to US pressure. Musharraf overthrew Sharif after the PML-N leader sacked him as army chief. His first action after the Supreme Court validated his bloodless coup, was to exile Sharif from Pakistan, banning him from returning to the country for 10 years. With PPP chief Benazir Bhutto — the other leading political player in Pakistan — already in exile, Musharraf declared himself the country’s chief executive and formally appointed himself President on June 20, 2001, days before travelling to Agra for the much-hyped summit with then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee which failed to yield any breakthrough. In an attempt to legitimise his presidency, Musharraf staged a widely criticised referendum on April 30, 2002, to extend his term to five years and the pro-Musharraf PML-Q, a breakaway faction of Sharif’s party, won a majority of seats in general elections later that year. On January 1, 2004, Musharraf won a confidence vote from the electoral college comprising the five legislatures. This body then re-elected him in uniform on October 6, 2007, for a second term as President.
Musharraf garnered support from Pakistan’s long-time ally, America, by assisting the US-led forces in Afghanistan in the war against terrorism that ensued the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Centre. He also decided against extending patronage to the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan. This was the period of Musharraf’s rise at home as well as abroad. But the battle-scarred army man who reportedly often carries a Glock pistol, earned the wrath of extremist elements inside his country and was the target of at least three assassination attempts. The dismissal of Pakistan Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on March 9, 2007, on charges of abuse of office, sparked nationwide protests by lawyers and opposition parties, marking the beginning of decline of Musharraf’s regime. His decision to send troops to storm the radical Lal Masjid in Islamabad on July 10, an operation that killed over a 100 people — further intensified terror strikes, including suicide bombings in the country. However, his move to impose emergency on November 3, 2007, suspending the constitution, detaining hundreds of political opponents and sacking the Supreme Court judges who were to decide whether he was eligible to stand for presidential election in uniform, hastened his downfall. As political parties, fresh from their win in the general elections, bayed for his blood, Musharraf also found no public support from his earlier backer US or his handpicked successor, Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani. India is concerned that the ouster of Musharraf, who is perceived as relatively moderate, could lead to a “big vacuum” in Pakistan that will give freedom to radical extremist elements to do “what they like”. — PTI
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Zia and Mush had much in common
Pakistan’s two former military dictators — Gen. Zia-ul Haq and Gen Pervez Musharraf — had much in common, besides the fact that both were born in India and moved to Pakistan after the subcontinent was partitioned in 1947. Zia died 20 years and a day before Musharraf’s rule ended.
Both were born in August — Zia on Aug 12, 1924, at Jalandhar and Musharraf on Aug 11, 1943, in Delhi. Both overthrew the governments of the prime ministers who had appointed them army chiefs out of turn and bypassing five senior generals. Former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto appointed Zia as the army chief by superseding five generals, hoping that Zia would prove loyal to him as he was from amongst the Punjabi people settled in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). Unconfirmed reports say that Bhutto used to refer to Zia as a “monkey general”. Nawaz Sharif appointed Musharraf the army chief superseding five generals and thought he would remain loyal as he belonged to a minority ethnic group. Both Zia and Musharraf were removed from power in August — Zia after his plane crashed August 17, 1988, while Musharraf was forced to resign Aug 18, 2008. The fathers of both military dictators were government employees in undivided India and moved to Pakistan after partition. Both Zia and Musharraf were identified as mohajirs (refugees) in Pakistan and not as sons of the soil. Among generals both were considered to be extremely lucky who got promoted to the top position in the army despite several negative remarks against them in the annual confidential reports. “Usually, with such remarks, no officer goes beyond major,” said Usman Khan, a retired brigadier. Both were under scrutiny when the 1965 war broke out between India and Pakistan but their cases were closed because of the emergency situation. Zia joined the British Indian Army in New Delhi in 1943, the year when Musharraf was born and both had fought the 1965 and 1971 wars against India. Both military dictators started the local bodies system in the country. Zia’s initiative was abandoned by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government that came to power after his death. The one started by Musharraf is already under scrutiny by the current PPP-led coalition government. Both military generals cobbled together a political group of opportunists and formed a political party known as Pakistan Muslim League. —
IANS
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He remains our partner: Rice
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Monday hailed Pervez Musharraf as a “friend of the United States” as the Pakistani president said he would resign rather than face impeachments charges.
Rice described Musharraf as “one of the world’s most committed partners in the war against terrorism and extremism.” “President Musharraf made the critical choice to join the fight against al-Qaida, the Taliban, and other extremist groups that threaten the peace and security of Pakistan, its neighbours, and partners throughout the world. For this, he has our deep gratitude,” she added. On Sunday, Rice ruled out suggestions that the US would provide asylum to Musharraf. In an interview with Fox News, she said, “This is an issue that is not on the table.” She noted that the US did not always agree with Musharraf’s actions. “Everyone knows that we disagreed with his decision in terms of the state of emergency that he declared, but he was — he kept to his word. He took off the uniform,” she said. The US official, mindful of the political changes in Pakistan, reiterated that the US “strongly” supports the “democratically elected civilian government in its desire to modernise Pakistan and build democratic institutions.” She pointed out that the United States supported the transition to democratic government in Pakistan and respects the results of the election. “We believe that respect for the democratic and constitutional processes in that country is fundamental to Pakistan’s future and its fight against terrorism,” she said. The US’ ardent support for Musharraf had irked many democrats in Pakistan. Rice said the US would continue to work with the Pakistani government and political leaders and “urge them to redouble their focus on Pakistan’s future and its most urgent needs, including stemming the growth of extremism, addressing food and energy shortages, and improving economic stability.” “The United States will help with these efforts to see Pakistan reach its goal of becoming a stable, prosperous, democratic, modern, Muslim nation,” she added.
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Pak’s internal matter: Pranab
New Delhi, August 18 Officially, India declined to say anything on Musharraf’s resignation with both external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee and external affairs ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna saying it was an internal matter of Pakistan. However, India has been keeping a close watch on the situation in Pakistan ever since the ruling coalition decided to impeach the beleaguered President. Sources, who did not wish to be quoted, hoped that Pakistan would not slip into anarchy with various power centres working at cross-purposes as that could have repercussions for India too at a time when Jammu and Kashmir was witnessing communal unrest. India had in recent days given expression to its views on the moves to impeach Musharraf. National security adviser M.K. Narayanan had gone on record saying Musharraf’s departure from the political scene could leave a vacuum that could encourage radical extremists in the neighbouring country to do what they like, not only on the Pakistan-Afghan border but on the Indian side of the border as well. There is a feeling in Indian official circles that it was easy to do business with Pakistan as long as Musharraf was at the helm of affairs, as he was the ‘one stop shop’ in the ruling establishment. However, the situation has not been as cordial as it should have been after the elections earlier this year. The Yousuf Raza Gilani government does not appear to be in control of the situation in the country with radical elements ruling the roost with the full backing of the ISI. The sources said Gilani might be the Prime Minister, but it was PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari who runs the show in Islamabad. “There is a coalition government in Pakistan headed by Gilani, but it is PPP leader Zardari who calls the shots. On top of it, the role of the Army in the internal affairs of Pakistan cannot be ignored. However, it is the ISI, which is operating as a parallel government in the country ever since the new regime took over in Islamabad,” they pointed out. It is being apprehended that to divert attention from domestic developments, Pakistan might try to raise the bogey of Jammu and Kashmir to a high pitch in the coming days.
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