An
Overworked President?
By Zakaria Virk
Kingston, Canada
In an interview with The Washington
Post during his most recent visit to the US, President
Musharraf is reported to have said: “You
must understand the environment in Pakistan. This
has become a moneymaking concern. A lot of people
say if you want to go abroad and get a visa for
Canada or citizenship and be a millionaire, get
yourself raped.” How would the President
feel if a raped woman was the daughter of a military
officer or one of his close ministers?
Then during a meeting organized to meet women
in New York to allay their concerns, the general
lashed out at critics. According to published
reports when “provoked by a single question,
the president allowed an event held to promote
his government’s pro-women policies to degenerate
into a bout between himself and part of the invited
audience. As the shouting match heated, Gen. Musharraf
told a woman: “I am a fighter; I will fight
you. I do not give up, and if you can shout, I
can shout louder.” He then snapped at another
woman: “Are you a Benazir supporter? [The]
lady was prime minister of Pakistan twice, ask
her what she has done for Pakistan.”
If the President is over worked, he needs to take
time off. These were cheap shots by a respected
military general.
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