Gen. Musharraf to become Mr. Musharraf on Thursday

Posted on November 27, 2007
Filed Under >Darwaish, History, Law & Justice, People, Politics
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Darwaish

So finally, General Pervez Musharraf would become Mr. Pervez Musharraf on Thursday when he will be sworned in as a civilian president at the Aiwan-i-Sadr, Islamabad (13th president of Pakistan). Gen. Musharraf will retire after occupying Chief of the Army Staff post for more than nine years. Given a choice, I am sure he would have loved to continue for another 5-10 years and beat the record set by late Gen. Zia. But anyways, Musharraf paid farewell visits to Joint Staff, Air and Naval headquarters today where he met senior military officials one last time as COAS. Former DG ISI, Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani will take over as new Chief of the Army Staff from Thursday. ATP readers who wish to know more about Gen. Kayani may find this bbc article very interesting.

Musharraf is taking his uniform off at a time when he has become highly unpopular, country is under unnecessary Martial Law, judiciary has been completely destroyed, lawyers and civil society are on the streets protesting against him, media is under severe curbs and he hardly has any friends left anywhere. It would be interesting to see how Gen. Musharraf survives in future as a civilian president.

He would require endorsement of PCO and all his actions since November 3 from newly elected assembly, if elections are held, which will be an uphill task and I really don’t see HOW it will happen unless Q-League wins again.

But then again, anything is possible in Pakistan. Who knows, Q-League wins with a heavy mandate this time after brilliant performance of 5 years in power.

According to Daily Times:

President General Pervez Musharraf would take oath as civilian president at 11am on Thursday, but before this he would relinquish charge of chief of army staff (COAS) to start his second term as president of Pakistan.

“Yes, he is going to take oath at 11am on Thursday,” Musharraf’s spokesman Maj Gen (r) Rashid Qureshi told Daily Times on Monday. He also confirmed that the Ministry of Defence had issued a notification of his retirement as army chief after being in office for nine years.

Farewell: Defence Ministry sources said Musharraf would start holding farewell meetings today (Tuesday) – a clear indication that he had decided to call it a day. “Musharraf will meet top military commanders, principal staff officers and senior colleagues,” defence sources said. The formal handing over of charge to his successor is also part of the farewell proceedings, they added. The sources said Musharraf was fulfilling the promise he made to the nation and the Supreme Court of vacating the army post before taking oath as president. Preparations for the ceremony to mark the change of army command are underway, and a formal ceremony will take place at General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, defence sources said.

After the completion of the ceremony, the Defence Ministry will announce the appointment of the new chief of army staff, sources said. A special meeting of corps commanders is expected before the handing over ceremony, they added.

Born in 1943 in New Delhi, Musharraf enrolled in the Kakul Military Academy in 1961. He was commissioned in the Artillery Regiment in 1964. Former premier Nawaz Sharif appointed him as the country’s 13th army chief on October 8, 1998. On October 12, 1999, he ousted Sharif in a bloodless coup and bundled him off to Saudi Arabia on December 10, 2000. On October 7, 2001, Musharraf extended his military term, which is supposed to be a three-year tenure post, for an unspecified period. After the late General Ziaul Haq, who was army chief for more than 12 years from April 1, 1976 to August 17, 1988, Musharraf’s tenure as army chief has been the longest. Last week, the new SC judges validated Musharraf’s victory in an October 6 presidential election, clearing the way for him to serve a further five years in office.

Army security, staff to stay: Sources said President Musharraf’s security would remain entrusted to the army, even after taking oath as a civilian president. A special contingent of Pakistan Army’s Special Services Group, headed by a brigadier, has been tasked with ensuring Musharraf’s security. General Musharraf has also decided to retain his current military staff after resigning as army chief, it was learnt. This includes a full time military secretary, deputy military secretary and deputy chief of staff.

It is too early and premature to say what legacy Gen. Musharraf is leaving as COAS and how he will be remembered. Only time will tell. After all, he is still going to rule us for another 5 years (atleast he thinks that way). So what if he is wearing a suit this time. But lets just hope that Gen. Kayani stays away from politics and takes serious steps to improve the deteriorating image of Pakistan Army.

139 responses to “Gen. Musharraf to become Mr. Musharraf on Thursday”

  1. faraz says:

    Zakoota, If ppl of Pakisan die on street because of OBL or fanatics then no arabs will come to save us.

    Iraq can be rebuild, because they have oil but we have nothing. We need good relationship with rest of world in order to surrvive.

  2. faraz says:

    zakoota, why you and other people dont accept the reality the the biggest enemy of Pakistan today is OBL and fanatics. Why in world India will attack us. OBL want to turn Pakistan in another Iraq. Now it is responsibility of army to save Pakistan from external as well as internal enemy. If few million ppl want to destroy Pakistan, they have to be neutrilize to save rest of 160 million ppl.

    I am happy that Mush has shatter his uniform. It will give army more credibility to flush out extremists. And what do you think? Kyani and any other generel will be tough on extremist as Mush was. I think extremist are working on three phase strategy.

    1. Create safe heavens in Pakistan like Waziristan and Swat.
    2. Attack USA basing from these heavens so USA attack back on Pakistan.
    3. Turn Pakistan into Iraq and bring more financial demage to USA.

    The most sad part is so many ppl in Pakistan and so many wealthy arab sheikhs are helping these people to turn Pakistan into a battle ground. Do you think that OBL and fanatics have any care for Pakistan?

    Why we want to destroy our country to fight Arab cause. They dont care about Pakistan.

  3. RE says:

    zakoota
    what damage? forgot damage done by previous Prime Minsters? Short memory? No hard done to Pakistan. Pakistan has the best rating ever in Business world now then ever before. Stop BS anti Pakistan propaganda. He is not just a loyal solder he is a strong leader who can take any pressure and do what he thinks is right thing for Pakistan.
    If he was like todays politicians he/she would have not stood strong like Mushraf did knowingly he will look bad.

    Pakistani people must keep eyes and ears open and watch out for enemy inside Pakistan physically or via Internet.
    Nuclear powers do not fight wars with rockets and bombs , they are fought with espionage and manipulations. Enemy is doing exactly this to take Pakistan back. Watch out.

  4. AM says:

    Zakoota-

    Illegal civil war?

    Last I heard it was “illegal” for people from one country to attack forces based in another, it is “illegal” for people to be beheaded without trials on the mere suspicion of being “amreeki Jasoos” or “Prostitutes” (anti Musharaf people do love the law don’t they?), it is illegal to plant bombs in schools and threaten people for kowtowing to medieval and barbaric demands. One can criticize Musharraf for a lot of things, but only extremist sympathizers will criticize him for participating in the WoT.

    250 terrorists killed in Swat, and hopefully quite a few more to come under Kiyani – Swallow that Mr. Zakoota.

  5. zakoota says:

    Keep on arguing about who is good and who is bad? keep on giving examples and logics…..nothing will come up! no major decision in Pakistan was ever made or will ever be made either by any army general or any civilian in Pakistan.

    The damage Gen. Musharaf has done to Pakistan’s most organized and respectable institution (despite their interruptions in the political process) is almost unrepairable. The so called slogans of “extremism” and “internal threat” are given and rationalized by Musharaf himself to justify his illegal civil war against people of Pakistan.

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