With friends like these who needs an enemy?
It seems now clear. Musharraf if left on his own devices will not give in to the mounting pressure to stand down. This is in spite of the reports that the US Ambassador to Pakistan met him yesterday and recommended that he step down and seek a safe passage. Honestly if I were Musharraf I would have definitely not heeded such US recommendations. Yet I would have cared a lot for the institution which gave me my name and all the respect. Yes I am talking about the Pakistan Army. When we already know that concerning Musharraf there indeed are some embarrassing facts should he not decide to silently step down and save the army of some embarrassment? I think he should. Not clear? Let me illustrate.
The biggest bombshell and the most troublesome case against our president is being built in the United States. Yes I am talking of Dr Aafia Siddiqui case. As we know the story she was apprehended in 2003 within Pakistan and then handed over to the US of A. If the defense manages to make the point that the bona fide case against her is regarding her activities in 2008 and not what she was alleged of 5 years earlier that will not only vindicate her of any charges of the so-called service to Al Qaeda but also leave the government of Pakistan badly embarrassment. We know her life for the same reason is under threat. But if we know anything about the US legal system we know that now that she has come into the mainstream legal proceedings she will stay safe. But she has finally provided the countless faceless Pakistanis sold off to the US with a face. A woman abducted along with her children and handed over to the Yanks who had to endure countless human right abuses. How does it sound? And yet Musharraf in his published book which amounts to a written testimony takes pride in the fact that such activities were undertaken by the Pakistani state. Is it not embarrassing? Musharraf was then also an army chief and the army if I remember correctly prides itself on its defense of the motherland and its people. So you understand what I mean.
But the story doesn’t end here. The allegation of financial mismanagement worth $ 700 million cannot be taken lightly. The government is alleging that it went to Musharraf’s personal account but even if it cannot be proven please rest assured that disappearance of this staggering amount received in lieu of the war on terror will not go down well in the western capitals. It is a sure thing that the government would have not raised this issue if it could find it anywhere in the 2001-7 account books. This will damage the Pakistani state as never before.
While full accountability of this is needed for the sake of the war on terror and this will eventually come, if issues like these are dragged in the press the establishment of the country will be devastated. Yes the same establishment which has trusted Musharraf so much. The other charges that I am aware off will lead the retired general straight to the gallows. One wonders what Musharraf is playing at then?
I believe then that it is due chiefly to the presence of inept and corrupt advisors. It is clear that Musharraf has effectually been alienated from the circles that call shots in the Islamic Republic. That leaves him without any insight into the intelligence or state operations. In this condition he and his colleagues have resorted to simple calculation of nerves. If the government is still hinting at a safe passage, it certainly have some chinks in its armor, must be their logical deduction. But this is akin to misconstruing the situation pretty badly. Someone needs to wake the embattled man up. If he does not heed the better advise being given by his former colleagues and some rivals he will surely damage himself absolutely. Power is not everything. His life may not be important for himself but he must be precious to his own family. As precious as Dr Aafia Siddiqui is to her own family. Moreover the state which has tolerated him for eight long years as its head also deserves better from him. If he does not heed any advice his friends in the army will also have to let him face the music. For the cause of democracy though it may not be that bad for the impeachment process will create new precedents. Also the case against Musharraf will help manifest that the decade of the 90s was not a disaster because of democracy but owing to the machinations of the establishment.
Musharraf needs to change his advisors at once. The opportunist class he is right now trapped in is only still standing with him for personal gains. The moment he loses they will not take a second to switch sides. With friends like these who needs an enemy.
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