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. Nayab Khan says:

    Musharraf just slapped his critics real hard.
    He has stood by his words once again and given date he will lift emergency.

    Wish i could slap pj-mir and shahid for being so dramatic !! :D

  2. RE says:

    Congratulations to President Mushraf for becoming Civilian President. I hope NS and BB although BB should be in Jail. But I hope she will give the money back to Pakistan and ask for forgiveness.
    Also I believe Shabaz Sharif is much better choice than NS.
    Anyways I hope all Pakistani politician act in the interest of Pakistan.
    Allah Bless Pakistan

  3. Nayab Khan says:

    zia m and others; You are looking from a wrong angle.
    In 1989 many innocents got killed along with MQM terrorists in karachi operation, but isnt karachi better of today? or you still want the cells where people use to drill into their victim’s knees hanging around? and mostly these innocents die because of their own stupidity and otherwise its collateral damage.
    Pakistan army does not go around shooting people for fun!!
    If we let people like Mulana fazullah have hold in sawat, soon many others will follow with different versions of shariya thru-out pakistan and then they will fight each other. Even MMA couldnt stay united for one term!!. There will be more killings, more robberis and more starvation, just see where afganistan and afgani people stand today!
    And people like Mulana fazullah only do these things when people in their area support them and thus they are responsible too and not innocent!

    I am in favour of shoot to kill anyone who holds a weapon in sawat and tribal areas.

    Musharraf named his successor and done the transition of power to him, now can the BB and Nawaz suckers name their successors and let someone else lead PPP & PMLN. Are they lords/kings/rulers/gangsters of their party?
    I will support any Musharraf pupit government untill PPP & PMLN change their management and publish their agendas on various issues of national security, integrity and development.

  4. faraz says:

    Zia m, what I meant to say to you can crticize Musharaf on lot of front, but why you guys critize his actions against extremist, it makes me worry about future of Pakistan.

    I dont justify his operations in Baluchistan, but tell me what he was supposed to do in Waziristan, lal masjid and Swat. Let OBL supporters to have safe heavens where they can have plan their attack on west and rest of Pakistan. There were more then hundreds of “armed to teeth” fanatics in lal masjid. What he was supposed to do. Allow these ppl to wander on street of ISB.

    This extremism is result of 25 years of Zia’s islamization and jihadi policy and you can not blame Mush. Mush is the one who has started to reverse the process (after getting push from USA) and it will naturally create some reaction. In any war some innocent ppl will die.

    Have you heard about “snow ball” effect. If these ppls would have not been crush in Lal masjid and Swat, then you will make every 5th masjid lal masjid and every second hill place as SWAT. These ppl has to be treated with iron hands.

    I hope that Gen Kyani and NS or BB will continue on same route to flush out these elements.

  5. Pejamistry, Zia and others: you have pointed out the posting of some silly comments here – however, I am not sure if the moderators here ought to be blamed.

    It is disappointing to note that many commentors just write without thinking – for instance kukar just wrote that NS is ——–ng too much hence he is ugly.

    koi batlao ke ham batlayain kiya??

    After reading all these comments, I sadly have to agree with Ashfaq Ahmad that the parha likhaas of Pakistan were worse than the an-parhs!!

    Anyway, Pejamistry saheb, keep commenting – we can’t let sanity disappear from this space..

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