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IS it shocking or the new normal? Former military dictator and army chief Gen Pervez Musharraf has expressed his admiration and support for Hafiz Saeed and the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Unprovoked, seemingly for no reason other than his need to make headlines with increasingly outrageous statements and with no regard for Pakistan’s delicate international position, Mr Musharraf has once again spewed out fantastical nonsense.
What is more than puzzling is that when Mr Musharraf was army chief and had installed himself as a military dictator, it was his regime that took significant steps to restrain militancy. Indeed, it was on the former dictator’s orders that many militants groups were outlawed and at least nominal clampdowns enforced.
Quite why Mr Musharraf has felt the need to traverse the ground between an advocate of a moderate Pakistan to now saying virtually anything that appears to pop in his mind or interviewers goad him into saying is not clear.
What is clear is that his former institution or whoever is able to counsel restraint needs to urgently speak to Mr Musharraf and put an end to his unpredictable outbursts.
Perhaps Mr Musharraf also needs to be reminded of the destructiveness of his regime. After nearly a decade in charge, militants were rampant, the economy had tanked and society was under the influence of growing extremism.
If there is a singular justification for why modern Pakistan needs democracy not dictatorship, Mr Musharraf is it. Unable to deal with his ouster after a revolt by Pakistani society, Mr Musharraf has tried to establish himself as a legitimate political alternative to no avail.
Now, he has chosen self-exile rather than facing a treason trial. But even by the standards of a frustrated former strongman, Mr Musharraf appears to have little regard for the damage his comments can cause to the country.
If a long-term army chief and military dictator cannot exercise restraint, perhaps it is time for him to be ignored all together by the nation.
Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2017
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Comments (49) Closed
Dec 01, 2017 08:00am
Howsoever outrageous, his statements are undoubtedly true!
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Dec 01, 2017 08:24am
Great Article. Thanks.
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Dec 01, 2017 09:37am
Very true comments about Musharraf’s government and the need for the military to stay out of politics. There is also a need for Pakistani think tanks liberal or otherwise to recognize that it is fighting others’ wars both in the 80s and 2000s’ that has gotten us in this mess. Blaming and fighting internal groups is akin to again following foreign agenda. Pakistan’s interest is in deploying strategies to build a cohesive society.
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Dec 01, 2017 09:41am
I am sure many Pakistanis will be happy to hear Mr Musharraf..
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Dec 01, 2017 09:52am
spot on !
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Dec 01, 2017 09:54am
Democracy have totally failed to deliver anything good to our country (Masses) , where as the 2% elite classes have minted money in billions !
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Dec 01, 2017 10:56am
@Zafar Ahmed
and this 2% includes generals as well.
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Dec 01, 2017 11:03am
Such articles tell us that there is still hope of good things.
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Dec 01, 2017 11:34am
Though big mafia cannot be punished in fragile state of Pakistan hence enough as a Lesson Learnt in future.
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Dec 01, 2017 11:34am
Musharraf regime was far better than our last 10 yrs of so called democrarcy.
We call him dictator but what about PPP and PML , were they democratic, come on be fair in your statement.In whose regime economy was better.Please comment with logic.
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Dec 01, 2017 11:36am
Ecellent. A nice article. Pakistan needs to throw these dictators out and return to democracy.
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Dec 01, 2017 11:44am
The writer is absolutely correct. The image of a country gets damaged by such stupid comments and shall have a long impact . Mr Musharraf wants to join politics at any cost even taking help from militants who are banned internationally. Let good Samaritans join together and oppose such people openly not to dare in future. .
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Dec 01, 2017 12:36pm
Every action of PM had one objective: to stay in power and rule the country come what may. That mindset hasn't changed much.
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Dec 01, 2017 01:02pm
Mushraf should be brought to justice in a legitimate ongoing case against him,
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Dec 01, 2017 01:02pm
There is not an iota of untruth in what General spoke
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Dec 01, 2017 01:02pm
@Jamshed . True far superior for Pakistan. There is no comprison with Zardari or Nawaz both are corrupt to the highest order .
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Dec 01, 2017 02:32pm
Musharraf is still a 'hero' to many in Pakistan! First the mindset of the people in Pakistan should change, if at all there is s chance for their country to revive.
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Dec 01, 2017 03:13pm
Great great piece of writing
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Dec 01, 2017 03:53pm
70 Years is a pretty long time for Pakistani stake holders to understand --- that the country can not afford any more martial law--- rather must nurse a weak democracy to make it stronger.
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Dec 01, 2017 03:55pm
who is this one?
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Dec 01, 2017 04:02pm
Excellent article.
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Dec 01, 2017 04:24pm
He has gone 'off the rails'. Needs to be treated in an institution for his megalomania!
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Dec 01, 2017 05:28pm
Three cheers for the great editorial! Dawn excels.
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Dec 01, 2017 06:07pm
If we don't have proof against these people, why should we condemn them?
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Dec 01, 2017 07:59pm
The Nawazu coterie is the single most cogent argument that democracy has failed to deliver the goods, except into the hands of the corrupt. Mr DJ Trump is yet another proof that when democracy matures it gives us the worst possible leadership. One could postulate that La Clinton would have been worse. That is more like an Heisenberg uncertainty,
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Dec 01, 2017 08:05pm
Nothing that the world or even Pakistanis did not know.
W.hat is more amusing to the world is that most Pakistanis pretend it is an eye opener.
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Dec 01, 2017 08:26pm
@AKKS Musharraf was the best thing that happened to this country. That is why many people still believe he is a hero.
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Dec 01, 2017 09:33pm
Democracy is fake system, read Socrates studies. Only highly educated and mature citizens when asked to pick leaders by voting is fruitful. Democracy is not true projection of National interest but rather individual ones, there's a huge gape here. Military or democracy both have eclipsed performance. New system is required...
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Dec 01, 2017 10:14pm
He represents everything wrong with Pakistan.
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Dec 01, 2017 11:15pm
Why is he even in news. Media has to stop giving out his childish remarks that are detrimental to Pakistan's stability and shameful statement that world is enjoying.
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Dec 01, 2017 11:17pm
The article is something that every sane Pakistani should read. It is his frustration that leads him to try and appear as a self appointed spokesman for the country of his origin. I would not call him a Pakistani
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Dec 02, 2017 12:59am
these type of comments always come from people who are out of power you can hear loudly the recent person out of power.
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Dec 02, 2017 01:08am
The Editorial is smack on the dot. Pakistan needs a clear cut policy on how these former deposed&disqualified leaders of the past are harnessed in legal straps for maintaining Pakistan’s image above their cynicism.
Such rhetoric that causes confusion&creates instability internally&externally is very damaging for the institutional image of greater Pakistan’s future in day’s to come. People like Former President&General(Retired)Pervez Musharraf can only cause further damage to Pakistan’s War on Terrorism& Political governance with such statements.PM&others alike should be cautioned to refrain from in the interest of his former country of residence where legal cases are pending in the Court of Law.
Pakistan needs a very comprehensive policy on the Check’s &Balances for what anybody can say about Pakistan’s past and present status;by those who were once in power. PM governance has caused irreparable damages to the Pakistan’s War on terrorism. PM must be restrained&tried at the earliest.
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Dec 02, 2017 01:10am
All those praising and yearning for Musharraf have no respect for the laws of the land. Like it or not, he was lawfully dismissed and came back unlawfully.
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Dec 02, 2017 01:19am
Oh please. These intellectual wannabes have to stop. There is no way democracy can be a success when our society is so polarized by ethnicity. Each providence is dominated by a party backed by a deferment ethnicity. At a time when politician sell us out for short term gains he is the only one who has acted with the best interest of Pakistan, his very existence has been spent defending it. Can any politicians say that?
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Dec 02, 2017 04:13am
Agreed. He only wants to make outrageous headlines and rule the country again no matter how and what the consequences for the people or the country. He has got into his head that only a dictator like him knows whats best for the country. Why doesn't he come back and face the courts. Why did he sign the NRO. Why did he block the media, why did he applied state of emergency, why did he turned against the court decision? Why? Just leave this country alone and let democracy flourish.
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Dec 02, 2017 07:08am
The military must stay out of politics. It has been and remains an elusive dream. And there does not seem to be any realistic possibility that this situation might change any time soon. Unless, of course, we somehow, miraculously, find a way to make the voice of the ordinary citizens of this country more powerful than the generals, or corrupt politicians, or feudal landowning class.
We do not presently have, and we never did have real democracy in this country.
What we have right now is a form of Kleptocracy , in which gangs of corrupt professional politicians have reached an agreement to take turns to rule, ruin, rape, plunder and loot the country with impunity.
Unless these criminals are brought to justice and the loot is recovered no democracy is possible.
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Dec 02, 2017 07:56am
I agree. Musharaf should not have made such irresponsible statements which damages further the image of Pakistan. He simply wanted to be in news & create headlines without bothering about the potential consequences. Pakistan must strengthen their democratic system by creating a strong structure across the Nation to sustain it. The shift between military rule & democracy impacts largely the continuity of policies, which is not good. It's time for politicians to put their heads together in the larger of your Nation & protect democracy at any cost.
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Dec 02, 2017 08:33am
Just putting pressure on national arena.
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Dec 02, 2017 08:45am
That's called journalism. Great piece by dawn !!!
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Dec 02, 2017 12:07pm
If performance (or the lack of it) is anything to go by, then I could make the same argument and say that the last ten years of (so called) democracy are proof enough that Pakistan does not need a parliamentary democracy.
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Dec 02, 2017 04:07pm
Wonderful assessment of a military dictator
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Dec 02, 2017 11:18pm
The remarks of a former dictator about planting a non law-backed force during his regime and overtly being claimant of his disheartening measures is the answer of all those questions for which we were marooned in every international legal ground,especially diplomatic channels. Proxies are formed,fought and mobilized in different parts of the world and for strategic purposes but it is way peculiar in case of Pakistan. In diplomatic age,it is viewed as obscurantist and subversive play on the one hand,and can prove a heavy hand on cases that we have been persuading on international grounds regarding the nonexistence of proscribed elements on the other hand. Apart from these all,Pakistan's legitimate right on Kashmir in accordance with the international ethos can not be transformed into a movement towards "Right to self determination". If it is fueled to be continue or hectic efforts are not made to put a leash/lid on less substantially motivated arguments, we may not able to get the world on board for Kashmir cause.
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Dec 03, 2017 08:28am
There can't be a cohesive society in a country full of hate and terrorists
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Dec 03, 2017 08:42am
Nation still remembers him. Based on one statement one cant defame a true leader.
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Dec 03, 2017 10:58am
Totally agree with the analysis expressed on Musharraf. It is a shame some cannot take their break from power with dignity....
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Dec 03, 2017 01:15pm
This article is gold so true and most leaders in Pakistan’s history don’t want to disappear they want to be part of the system that’s the problem. Not against N.Sharif but he should’ve just retired, same for Zardari and musharuf the whole world elects new leaders while we are left with the same old ROTTEN APPLES
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Dec 04, 2017 12:41am
Excellent Editorial
Musharraf and other Dictators before him, through power grab, have done immense damage to Pakistan.
As a policy these Dictators have employed diversionary tactics such as breed religious fanaticism and proxy wars with neighboring countries to prolong and consolidate their dictatorship.
Unfortunately, there seems to be no end to this destructive policy which benefits only a few self interest groups..
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Dec 04, 2017 01:34am
He says what he says because he knows most people are ignorant about how a civilized and prosperous country supposed to look like.
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