Musharraf’s Return
By Misbah U. Azam, PhD
Gilbert, AZ
Speculations about former President Musharraf’s return to Pakistan are rife in the media. His supporters invariably come up with a great deal of explanation as to why he remains “indispensable” for Pakistan. So far, they have miserably failed to defend his eight-year military rule or convince the viewers and readers of his “achievements”. While advancing their arguments his defenders seem to conveniently forget:
1) History furnishes many examples that the economy always flourishes -- at least in the short run -- during dictatorships but it hardly ever gains resilience. Who can forget the “golden ages” of Ayub Khan and Ziaul Haq? Musharraf’s regime showed some economic gains until 2006 which was expected because of loan rescheduling and write-offs. However, in February 2006 Minister of State for Economic Affairs admitted that Pakistan’s foreign debt had increased from $33.4 billion (in 2002) to $34.37 billion. In the first half of fiscal year 2005-06 the foreign debt stood at $35.2 billion. The Minister revealed that the total amount of domestic loans obtained or disbursed by the government during 2003 to 2006 amounted to $67.43 billion (Rs. 4.0367 trillion). That makes the Musharraf government’s oft-repeated claim that Pakistan had “broken the begging bowl” questionable.
2) During his tenure, Musharraf ruled like an aristocrat. He called ordinary Pakistani people as “jahil” (illiterate); commented that if someone could not afford tomatoes he should stop eating them; if someone could not pay the gas bills he should turn off his gas; and even went on to make the shameless remark that Pakistani women could get themselves “raped” for obtaining foreign citizenship! Such comments have left painful memories that are hard to erase for an ordinary Pakistani.
3) In 2008, Musharraf commented about a respected Pakistani editor that he "should be roughed up"; he had only asked about Rashid Rauf, a man who was suspected to be a terrorist and was believed to have been deliberately freed by the police.
4) When a Western correspondent asked him about the then deposed Chief Justice who was under house arrest, Musharraf denounced the CJ as "the scum of the earth – a third-rate man – a corrupt man". When he was asked about the lawyers' movement Musharraf replied, "It was my personal error that I allowed them to go and express their views in the streets... We should have controlled them in the beginning before it got out of control."
Musharraf’s insensitivity, amateurishness and naivety profoundly damaged his prospects of participating in Pakistani politics. Interestingly, one of his counselors, when asked about Mussharraf’s Nov. 3, 2007 actions, replied that sacking of Judges was the right decision because he could see “what these judges are doing”.
To think that millions will welcome Musharraf at the airport when he returns to Pakistan is nothing but the pipe dream of a lunatic. However, should he come to Pakistan he should face the courts for having committed crimes like Kargil, October 1999, May 2007, Nov. 2007, 2008 Karachi killings, assassination of Bugti and Benazir, etc. so that anyone else who was involved in these crimes besides Musharraf should be exposed too and be duly punished.
