Parvez Musharraf’s home coming move falls flat

Vir Arjun, Hindi Daily Newspaper Published From Delhi

अनिल नरेन्द्र 

It is not known, what made former Pakistan dictator General Parvez Musharraf return home? Immediately after his return, he has been facing one or the other problem. And with passing of each day, his problems are getting graver. On his return from his self-exile to Pakistan, a shoe war hurled at him in a court, which was packed to the capacity. Within a week of this incident, the Supreme Court initiated proceedings against him on treason charges. Then, the Election Tribunal of Pakistan put a break on his race to reach Parliament. The Tribunal categorically banned him to contest elections. The din over his inability to contest elections had not even subsided, when an Islamabad Court rejected his bail application, clearing way for his arrest. The things reached to such a pass that surrounded by his Pakistan Rangers guards, he had to flee from the court before the arrest. Today he is under house arrest and is confined to just two rooms of his palatial farm house. His family members, personal staff and his counsels are not allowed to meet him. This 5-acre form house has already been converted into a sub-jail. The anti-terrorism court has sent the 69-year old former Army Chief to 15 days’ judicial custody. He is the first Army Chief of the country who has been facing such proceedings. His farm house is surrounded by 15 feet high four walls. Two of the rooms of this farm house are bomb-proof. Its estimated cost is around two million dollars. In fact, none other than he himself is responsible for the situation in which Musharraf is finding himself these days. He is reaping what he had sown. In a coup in 1999, Musharraf became dictator by overthrowing the elected government and later, under the pretext of referendum, he legitimized his rule. He became President in 2001 and remained on the post till 2008. During this period, he took a number of steps, which are now weighing heavily against him. During his tenure as the Army Chief, General overthrew the elected government of Nawaz Sharief. That is why, the former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharief is demanding initiation of legal proceedings against Musharraf on the charges of treason and violation of the Constitution. It was during the emergency that the Army entered the Supreme Court complex and took almost 60 judges in its custody, which included Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chowdhary, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. These judges were dismissed. The order of Musharraf’s arrest has been passed in the matter relating to keeping the judges under custody. In 2009, an advocate had called for legal action against Mushsarraf on the charges of imposing emergency in the country and keeping judges in custody. After the imposition of emergency in the country in 2007, the Army had also taken control of official television and radio stations. Telecasting of independent channels was also stopped. All these actions were considered as the murder of the democracy. He has also been facing murder charges. At the time of the assassination of the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007, the Pakistan Army was under his command. Earlier, in 2006, the Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti was killed in mysterious circumstances and at that time, too, finger was pointed to Musharraf. In Bhutto’s case, Musharraf was accused of not providing adequate security arrangements for Benazir, even though he was aware of death threats to her. During 2007, military action was taken in Lal Masjid of Islamabad and in that matter also, Musharraf was considered to be the man behind the orders for military action. Musharraf will have to appear before the court in this matter also. The coalition government had expressed its intention to initiate impeachment process against Musharraf in August, 2008. But under great pressure, Musharraf resigned from the post of the President in August, 2008 and left the country on his own. After living in self-exile in London for about four and a half years, he arrived at Karachi on 24^th March to participate in the forthcoming general elections in Pakistan. This is the throne to dust story of Musharraf.