Exonerating Musharraf
By Naveed Khan
San Jose, CA
The details of corruption, violation of human rights and transgression of constitution are well documented and new revelations are being made. A Chief Justice was twice dismissed because he challenged the dictator’s authority to squander people’s assets and usurp their fundamental rights. Whereabouts of hundreds of Pakistanis is still unknown and no one is even trying to trace them.
Recently, there was a startling revelation that the Jamaiat Ulema Islam (JUI) was bribed with land grants for soliciting support for the dictator. Violence perpetrated against the lawyers movement on May 12, 2007 has not been investigated. There are numerous other charges against Musharraf’s rule. What I find astonishing is that the present elected leadership is unwilling or unable to probe these charges and hold the previous regime accountable.
Even more disturbing is the government statement that Musharraf will not be held accountable if he refrains from entering politics. This logic and thinking is incomprehensible and unworthy of a democratic setup. Is there an agreement between the PPP and Musharraf? If the agreement is to forget and forgive all his omissions under the oft-repeated slogan of reconciliation then the government must say so. If the government is afraid of MQM’s violence if Mushrraf is tried in a court of law then this must be clarified. Just forgetting about nine years of misrule is grossly unfair to the people. One has to stand up and challenge this government’s policy which is a cruel joke with the people. Asif Zardari owes an explanation to the people.
