PERVEZ Musharraf has been threatening to end his stay abroad and breaking the status quo for a while now. He is addressing his own rallies in Pakistan, long-distance, as he competes with the revolutionary talk emanating from various political stages. He is looking for a team that can help him realise his dream. Many of his old associates have chosen to practise their anti-status quo skills from Imran Khan’s platform. Some of his former allies, like the ones in Karachi where he is scheduled to address a rally on Jan 8, are at the moment not keen on identifying Gen Musharraf as a friend. The Chaudhries of Gujrat and their rump group are not known for loyalty to political leaders who have had to rush out of the country in an emergency. This leaves a couple of young legal minds in Muhammad Ali Saif and Fawad Chaudhry to hold the fort — and at the same time also prepare for the court — until the former president comes back, if and when he does. In these desertions lies the hope that Gen Musharraf will be able to cobble together a team that is not only new but also reliable.

Gen Musharraf has historically leaned on two types of allies in his moments of need: the politicians who ultimately let him down and the soldiers who stood firmly by him when a prime minister tried to remove him as army chief. Against this background, the All Pakistan Muslim League chief is happy to confirm the news that some 100 ex-army men are rearing to join his party. What if the names of the ex-servicemen are so far secret? Gen Musharraf’s policy is in keeping with the current trend where the most untrained souls are seen to be attempting a political ambush to break the status quo.