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Musharraf – General failure?

History was repeating itself in Pakistan, but it was a little different this time. This military dictator was resigning his fate to the forces of democracy – thus spoke Mr 10% (Asif Ali Zardari) on the departure of a man who ruled this unruly state from 1999-2008.

Namta Gupta
History was repeating itself in Pakistan, but it was a little different this time. This military dictator was resigning his fate to the forces of democracy – thus spoke Mr 10% (Asif Ali Zardari) on the departure of a man who ruled this unruly state from 1999-2008. Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s hour long resignation speech that he read out to his countrymen was both an attempt to prove that he only had his country’s interest and not his own on his mind. This is certainly debatable. It was more of an attempt to tell the world that he was a victim of political debauchery and not a player in it. Musharraf is a man who changed his colour and course whenever tide went against him. Before 9/11, Pakistan was openly supporting Taliban, as Pakistan’ ISI was backed by CIA to beat Soviets. After the Soviet Union departed, Taliban got hold of the entire Afghanistan and enforced strict Shariat rule in what was once a largely liberal country. Many Mujahideens that were rendered useless after the end of proxy war between former USSR and United States of America were gradually accommodated by Pakistan and used for creating trouble in India. Even the Khalistan movement, the separatist movements in India’s North East and in J&K were all handiwork of ISI. All the ruling parties, be it PPP or PML –N, had unilaterally extended their support to this movement. Even the late Benazir Bhutto and former PM Nawaz Sharif had tactfully played the India bashing card to consolidate their vote banks. When Lahore accord was being signed in February 1999 between then Pakistan PM Sharif and his Indian counterpart Atal Bihari Vajpayee, little had the latter thought that at the same moment Musharraf and his Army cohorts were digging in Indian soil in Kashmir. Sharif exits; Musharraf enters The Kargil war and the subsequent defeat proved to be the last nail in the coffin for Sharif who was already fighting a lost battle against corruption charges, failing economy, and increasing influence of India in world diplomacy. When he left for USA on Bill Clinton’s call, his repute was completely undone and his macho image, which he had so carefully cultivated, post Chagai-I nuclear test was left in tatters. Although it was Musharraf who was the architect of Kargil war it was Sharif who had to bear the people’s wrath after Pakistan lost the war. Musharraf had to backtrack from Kargil shamefaced, but his authority multiplied manifold due to his influence in Army, forcing Sharif to exit. His vulnerability ultimately led to a bloodless coup by Musharraf, who overthrew the Sharif government. A General, who was appointed by Sharif himself cut short Pakistan’s botched attempt in establishing democracy. It has been a roller coaster ride for Musharraf since then. Pre 9/11, he was a pro-jihadist, who did not mind calling them as ‘Our Martyrs’. Just after 9/11 happened, the martyrs had suddenly become terrorists! His withdrawal of support to Taliban angered the hardliners across the world and they started baying for his blood. But what turned out to be the final nail in the coffin was his address to the nation that was delivered in English. This led to analysts declare his speech not to Pakistan but to Bush and his men. He remained the blue eyed boy of the US till things started going horribly wrong in 2006-07. Since then it has been only a downhill journey for this man, with America following carrot and stick policy whilst the extremists continued only with stick. Various attempts were made on his live – al Zawahiri’s threat post Lal Masjid seize, Balochi leader Nawab Bugti’s death (he first celebrated it as an achievement and later went on to call it as an accidental death), proved his unpopularity chart rising due to his actions that were allegedly directed by the US. His gamble of calling back Benazir Bhutto in a power sharing agreement exposed her to terrorist attacks who thought her to be an ally of US her subsequent assassination only made matters worse for Musharraf and fingers were pointed towards him. His sacking of judges was the proverbial last straw. Not so bad days But then the situation under his rule was not entirely grim. His role, from being the architect of Kargil war to that of Pak President was incomparable. It was under his rule that Pakistan’s relations with India showed improvement. For the first time our relations were not made hostage to Kashmir issue. As he bragged on TV, after 9/11 when Pakistan was about to be branded a failed and a terrorist state, it was his withdrawing of support from Taliban that saved Pakistan from America’s wrath. He is also right when he claimed that under his rule Pakistan media acquired more freedom (certainly more than Sharif’s rule where journalists were shot dead in open) and that can be easily ascertained from the way media covered lawyers agitation in support of Chief Justice Iftikhar Ahmad Chowdhary, after Musharraf had sacked him. He wasn’t completely wrong either when he said that under his rule women enjoyed an empowered atmosphere. But his achievements were somewhat undone by his clamping down on democratic process, whatsoever he may claim otherwise. Indian Aspect For India his resignation was both a reason for celebration as well as sadness. Happiness because the chief architect of Kargil is gone and sadness because he still had a lot of potential in him to improve relations between two countries. But now when he is no longer in the chair, India will have to pull up her socks and that too faster because with Musharraf gone, Pak Army and ISI will redeem their lost powers and enjoy an upper hand in its foreign policy decisions. India has to tread with caution all the more now, because though General Kiyani is Musharraf’s man, he is widely seen, as someone who is or may be a liberal yet sympathetic towards hardliners. And lastly, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has to be brought under control; otherwise, Pakistan may start raising its demand for plebiscite again. The recent hawkish attitude of the present coalition government and frequent firing by Pak rangers across LoC hint that the time has come for Indo-Pak dialogue, and the signs are ominous. In the end, how would one rate Musharraf? Yes, he was a dictator and an impulsive man who thought little while reacting (Bugti’s death, rape of Mukhtaran Mai, which he shamelessly called money making business for many and an easy way to Canada, his sudden exit from Agra summit, childish refusal to salute Vajpayee during Lahore Accord are a few examples that point towards his reckless streak). He was an army man who like many of his kin underestimated the force of democracy, yet unlike most of his democratic counterparts he had single handedly bailed out Pakistan from being labelled a terrorist state. He was not brittle and stubborn on relations with India, he did not let Kashmir hijack Indo-Pak peace process, and he tried to believe that the solution lies in thinking out of box. That he was a nationalist and loved Pakistan and that he loves his people dearly is something that even his most ardent detractors will not dispute. He was a dictator but he was certainly no Idi Amin or Saddam Hussein. He was someone who wanted to usher in democracy, albeit in a controlled environment, one that may have some place for him and for his men in uniform. But yet he failed, again. In the end, he turned out to be what he always was, a General who in pursuit of becoming a politician could not be either of them. His arrival and his departure will keep many intrigued because just like his coming to power, his departure was equally unexpected. He, like a good General, did not disclose his strategy till the very end and had kept the whole world guessing about his final move. However, the fact that shall always stay is that never was an elected representative of the masses. And though he tried hard, he ran out of options. Adieu General Musharraf!