The writer is a columnist, a former major of the Pakistan Army and served as press secretary to Benazir Bhutto
kamran.shafi@tribune.com.pk
This Proclamation shall come into force at once.”
The Commando should have added an addendum: ‘And Whereas if I am ever held to account for violating the Constitution, I, General Pervez Musharraf, Chief of the Army Staff, also proclaim as follows: The aforesaid prime minister, governors of all four provinces, the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Chiefs of the Armed Forces, Vice-Chief of Army Staff and Corps Commanders of the Pakistan Army, the drafters of the proclamation, the typists who typed it, the peons who carried it about delivering it ‘for perusal and comments please’, even the tea-boy on duty in the various offices ‘perusing’ it will all be as guilty as myself.’
For that is exactly what has happened: Instead of standing tall and saying he did what he did for he thought it in the best interests of the country, is now ratting on those who, in this country’s sad tradition, simply did not have the nerve to stand up and say they were against such extreme measures such as, for example, shutting up the senior judiciary, not even allowing their children to go to school. But more about this later and a little bit more of history before we forget.
As it happened, the Commando was forced out of office on August 18, 2008, just nine months and 18 days after his great Proclamation, going abroad two months after his sacking and then proceeding on a lecture tour netting him between $150-200,000 a pop, including other perks such as an executive jet to ferry him here and there, to poor Community Colleges (when colleges and universities of note did not want him, I suppose) too, prompting people to ask if these lectures were not put in place by the US establishment.
After luxurious exile in London Town, he returned to the country believing his admirers and Facebook account on March 24, 2013 to be received by about 250 people at Karachi among them senior retired officers of the forces. He was soon arrested under various charges including incarcerating judges of the superior judiciary; and above all else, High Treason. Not being a ‘bloody civilian’ politician, he was spared a jail barracks and had his fancy ‘farmhouse’ converted into a sub-jail, exercising for hours in his personal gym (some say running eight miles a day, Masha’allah) and entertaining his buddies in his wood-panelled study, waited upon by several valets, smoking Havana cigars and partaking of other goodies.
Now then, while the cases against him in several courts proceeded at a snail’s pace, him getting bail in almost all, the treason case, as a result of the above Proclamation, rattled him to the extent that while on his way to court for the first hearing, he handily developed chest pain and high-tailed it to the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology whose several reports on the Commando’s health were not very dramatic to say the least, leading cardiologists in the country and abroad to punch rather large holes in it.
Through various twists and turns; theatrics, even histrionics by his defence team going to the extent of calling the Special Court set up to try him a ‘slaughterhouse’, making one wonder why eminent lawyers like Sharifuddin Pirzada and Anwar Mansoor Khan should continue to be part of the panel that has such luminaries as Ahmad Raza Kasuri and Rana Ijaz on it, the Commando has now lowered himself to the position he is in.
To top it all, his defence team is now bandying about a ‘report’ said to have been issued by the interior ministry (which denies it!) that states he is in mortal danger of an attack by terrorists, who would be placed ‘all along the route’ to the court to launch multiple attacks on him. (The Ministry would do well to trace the leak and expose and punish the concerned most sternly). This was an upshot of the attack by ‘non-state actors’ on the Islamabad courts, which killed an addl. sessions judge and several lawyers, including a young girl on her second day at the courts (Shame on you, ‘non-state actors’, shame on you).
Unsolicited but sincere advice to the government: Let the Commando be indicted through Video Link (thank you, Mujib ur Rehman Shami Sahib) on the High Treason charge; apply to the courts to set dates in his various trials, say starting in August 2014, one after another, and let the man go see his aged dear mother who lives in Dubai. The man has shown himself to be the bully he is, and will not return to face the courts, bullies always being faint of heart. In which case, issue Interpol Red Warrants for him and let that be the end of that. I’ll promise you, it’ll not be soon that another Bonaparte will attempt to take over Pakistan.
As for the Commando, I hope he understands the gravy train in America is no more. Not even a Community College will want to listen to him.
And now for the shooting of ADSJ Rafaqat Awan (RIP). Was he shot twice or thrice, and did his gunman shoot him ‘accidentally’ or did terrorists kill him as his own Reader says. If his guard shot him, even twice, he would have had to press the trigger of his 9MM pistol TWICE, for it is not a fully automatic weapon. The man is then a murderer who was in cahoots with the terrorists. Please don’t go wrong on this gentlemen for it might just be (God forbid) yourselves tomorrow.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 14th, 2014.
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COMMENTS (16)
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@Maria: If you want to make people pay for their sins, then let him who is sinless cast the first stone.
Barring that, you have nothing but revenge and vindictiveness. Most of the clowns on the horizon right now have played a huge role in setting Pakistan back and this included the judiciary, the current crop of politicians as well as the Khakis. Whats going on now is a selective tamasha and nothing more.
@Assad: Thank you ET! Much appreciated. I like KS but his one issue agenda should be moderated a bit. This fixation with Musharraf is actually limiting KS's ability to reach out to his readers. The issue of militancy and corruption is far more important than taking digs at a general who is now a "has been". God bless both Musharraf and KS. At the end of the day, I find both of them to be honest, straightforward people. They both mean/meant well.
My piece was also censured. There was nothing derogatory in it. The author has an agenda, against Musharraf. An axe to grind. The public has a right to express themselves. And not to be censured ET is suppose to uphold the right to freedom of speech. Of everyone.
@Parvez:
by behavior you mean going to almost every lower court hearing after he was put under house arrest, even though his life was certainly in danger at the time? or perhaps appearing, as no other leader has, before the special court not even a fortnight ago and showing due respect for what is otherwise a biased court of law, where no justice can be dispensed. yes, you are right, his behavior is abhorrent!
@salim:
Actually NS has some writers on his payroll. They write articles on NS wishes. This article is one such example. I dont even give any importance
Shafi sahib, a biased and fake article. You dont even have your facts rights. The commando is the only one who can take the bold decisions to save this country unlike your useless politicians.
Well written to gain public attention. An ultimate piece of sensationalism!
Sharif vs Sharif-let us see who wins my guess is??.
Looks like it's time to let go of the HERO of Kargil mis-adventure.