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.
His power is now half and lets see till when he can survive now.
Shame on all those who have forgotten all the good things this guy did for the country. He has been far more sincere to the nation than BB or NS or any other leader or dictator in the history of Pakistan.
We are so funny. I bet just a few years down the road, it would someone else we would want to get rid of.
Go Musharraf, Go! This sounds so fimiliar to me.
The first towards accountability: Kayani should declare his known and “unknown” assets that he got by virtue of his being a General.
I would like to congratulate the people of Pakistan , for their successful struggle against the military president of Pakistan to force him to doff his uniform. I as a Pakistani feel proud today. In the year 2007 we have crossed so many milestones towards the rule of law, democracy , freedom and liberty that we did not achieve in last 60 years. This is a single biggest achievement of civil society agains military rule in Pakistan and I am sure gains of this achievement are irreversible.
For the first time in the history of Pakistan, civil society of Pakistan has caused an unbearable pressure to a sitting chief of Pakistan army to bow before the wishes people of Pakistan. Who could have imagined in January 2007, that ex-General (ah! how proud I feel while writing this word) would doff his uniform. His poodles were telling shamefacedly on every channel that they will
I would like to debate these comments made by Musharraf today, as reported in The News,
“” He said the Army is the force to protect and unite the country. He said it is the military, which comes forward to face any internal or external threat. It is the military that always remains prepared to offer sacrifices in natural calamities, he further said.
He said Pakistan could not survive without the Army. He said some unscrupulous elements raise fingers at the army but they do not understand the role of military in development and solidarity of Pakistan. “”
This is also a general line adopted by most of the Army officers in Pakistan.
1- Civilians are corrupt, unorganized and unpatriotic. Given a free hand, civilians cannot govern Pakistan and civilian rule results in loot, plunder and social chaos. So, the Army, in the background, is required to pull the strings. The democratic experiments of the Nineties prove this point.
2- It is only the Army that is keeping the country togather. Without the Army, Pakistan would break up into many parts and there would be ethnic conflicts all over. Hence, Army needs to wage these internal wars against Baluch, Pushtoon, Mohajir, Sindhi, Seraiki, GIlgiti etc ethnic groups.
Can some of the readers make some comments on these tow points??
I personally think that Army’s perception is quite subjective. If the Army command would not meddle into the affairs of the Executive, Judiciary and Legislative and just stick with supporting instituitions within constitutional parameters, it would be strengthening the country. The problem starts when Army takes the “Holier than thou” position and starts to take charge of other institutions.
The solution is not in forcing one emergency after another over the country but allowing one democratic goverment after another to function. The Army needs to take its hands off and the most it can do is to support institution building and push for accountability in its own workings. It can only support and push for accountability with checks n balances in the workings of the state provided that it is not a party to the state apparatus.
With its own hands in the cookie jar, it loses all credibility and cannot blame civilian “corrupt” politicians.
How many of the top Generals have been court marshalled for mismanagement and corruption??
Regarding the second point that “Army is keeping the country togather” – it appears that Pakistan is for the Army and not that the Army belongs to the country.
The Army needs to understand that a nation does not live in a time capsule – as it was created in 1947. With the passage of time, the social contract between the state and the citizen needs to evolve. The different ethnic groups across the country need to have more say in the functioning of government in their areas. Why does the gas from Sui not benefit Baluchistan or the Water Dams not benefit NWFP or buiness does not benefit Karachi? A democratic distribution of resources between different areas would result in balanced growth in different parts of the country. This requires the elected representatives to work out a solution through mutual agreement.
What is the use of such a country that can only stay togather under the barrel of the gun?? Are we living in another Yogoslavia?
I personally do not think that there is anything wrong with the concept if ethnic communities want more freedom within the state of Pakistan. It does not matter if you can call NWFP as Pakhtoonkhawa as long as the people living there want to be called just that. The administrative units of the country need to be broken down into 10+ provinces so that there is more local representation and ethnic diversity is consediered part of the country and not considered an abberation.
I am currently living in Europe and I am so impressed with Euro zone cooperation and evolving common identity. Different people are happy within their cultures and at the same time have come togather for common economic markets, common government practices and Europe wide freedom of movement. While this is far from where Pakistan or South Asia is, this is a general direction that we should be moving towards. Pakistanis should be happy living togather and sharing resources and working togather. As long as we live in a Pakistan where you need an Army to keep pushing people to live togather, it will always remain unstable and vulnerable.
About Musharraf a few words – It is a positive development that finally Musharraf has doffed his uniform. From his recent actions, it is quite clear that he had lost touch with reality and has strayed into the land of make belief.
Although he has adopted the Turkish model of elevating himself to the presidential office directly from the Army, he will realize quite quickly that Gen Kiyani’s loyalty lies with the institution and support for further commando actions & U turns without his uniform will not be supported by the Army anymore.
Perhaps, Musharraf will become the fall guy for the Army’s retreat out of the political scene.
In any case, the good news is that Pakistan moves ahead in its search for a soul of its own once more. Lets see if this time it can do so without the pupeteering conducted by the Army in the background.