PPP-Musharraf war of words positive for large democratic picture

ISLAMABAD: The severe attack launched by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) against Pervez Musharraf in response to his barrage of allegations over its chief Asif Ali Zardari has not only pleased the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) but also all and sundry who want to make a former dictator an example for having played havoc with democracy and the Constitution.

There is no doubt that the PML-N has a special disdain for Musharraf for toppling its government in October, 1999 and persecuting its leadership. Deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wanted to see him behind bars for his crimes, but failed to translate his desire into reality due to the compulsions of his high office, and the pressure exerted by powerful quarters to let him go out of Pakistan unscathed. The former dictator himself disclosed in a TV interview that the then army chief, Raheel Sharif, played the decisive role in easing him out of Pakistan by dropping messages to the concerned forums.

The PML-N was pushed to the wall to allow Musharraf to depart from the homeland although it always wanted otherwise. However, despite succumbing to the demand for his safe exit, its views against him hardly ever toned down. Whenever it finds an opportunity to harshly lambaste him, it fully avails it and keeps taunting him to come back and face the judicial process.

Now when the PPP has locked horns with Musharraf on the question of two assassinations, the PML-N, in the heart of its hearts, is satisfied to see his battering. The PPP campaign is positive for the larger political and democratic picture of Pakistan as an ex-dictator aptly deserves this kind of treatment. Previously, only the PML-N was very bitter about the ex-dictator and now the PPP has the same sentiments against him.

This is just related to his person on account of one issue -- Bhuttos’ murders. But several more years would be required to overcome the massive losses and damages his rule inflicted on the national economy, social fabric and many other facets of life. He had ditched Pakistan the day he had yielded to even those demands that Washington had not even dreamed on just a telephone call in the wake of the nine-eleven terrorist attack.

By doing so, he had followed in the footsteps of successive military dictators who were prepared to do anything just to prolong their rules and were always in search of political legitimacy through fake elections and referendums because the biggest challenge they always faced was the lack of acceptance among the masses.

By hearing the most malicious allegations from Musharraf, Zardari might have repented over the guard of honour that the PPP government had accorded to the retired general when he had been made to leave the presidency. The PPP is always booed and jeered and rightly so for giving a “warm send-off” to Musharraf.

There is apparently not even an iota of truth in what Musharraf has now alleged because had it carried any relevance and weight, he would have used it against Zardari after Benazir Bhutto’s murder in December 2007, at least eight months before he had vacated the presidency. At the time, his government had put the entire blame on the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief. To back up its claims, it had also released the intercepted telephonic conversations among terrorists regarding the tragic incident.

There is no taker of Musharraf’s views and philosophy that he kept bombarding during his protracted eight years’ unconstitutional rule. He was always painted by perennial toadies as a saviour Pakistan has got for the first time in its history. Nobody is inclined to attach any credence to his grave accusations against Zardari, holding the former president responsible for the murders of Benazir Bhutto and Mir Murtaza Bhutto. When he was in power at the time of BB’s assassination, he never hurled this kind of charge on the PPP chief.

What intrigued many was the timing of Musharraf’s offensive. Obstensibly, the immediate cause of provocation was Zardari’s demand for death penalty to the former general and others in his appeal filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the decision of the Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorist Court (ATC). The lower judicial forum had declared Musharraf as a permanent proclaimed offender and deferred its decision about him till his return to Pakistan. It had sentenced two senior police officers to 17 years’ imprisonment each and acquitted the actual five accused. Musharraf launched his onslaught the day the LHC accepted the appeal for regular hearing.

He is unlikely to hear good news from the high court. Besides, the menacing high treason case that stands suspended at the special court due to his absence also awaits his availability. While ridiculing his political rivals specifically Zardari and Nawaz Sharif, Musharraf himself detests returning to Pakistan to face the judicial process while he is conveniently available for TV interviews, the easiest thing he does to show his perceived relevance.

By obstinately refusing to come back after leaving Pakistan on the pretext of treatment of his back problem just for six weeks, he has disgraced his former commando credentials. He will continue to attract tirade till the time he dares to return. But his problem is that he has no political roots, whatsoever, to fall back on, and those who earlier extricated him from dangerous consequences would not like to intervene again. Thus, he is a liability for everyone. Finding no supporters anywhere, he has to stay put abroad, enjoying his life as he has tons of money to use and palatial houses abroad to live.