The writer was Pakistan’s ambassador to the EU from 2001-2004 and to the US in 1999
tariq.fatemi@tribune.com.pk
History is replete with instances confirming the indisputable wisdom of the well-known saying that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. This may explain why Almighty Allah warns in no uncertain terms that sovereignty in the heavens and the earth belongs to Him and to Him all things will return (Surah 24, Ayat 42).
This revelation was proclaimed more than 1,400 years ago, when the rest of the world was still trapped in concepts as abhorrent as the “divine right of kings” and the “mandate of the heavens”. Gradually, and only after centuries of struggle, the insurmountable thirst of humans to be the arbiters and custodians of their own destinies enabled them to extract concessions from their despotic rulers, that eventually evolved into what we now call democratic governance and the rule of law.
Ironically, however, the overwhelming majority of Muslim states have remained prisoners of authoritarian regimes, wherein individuals or families have imposed systems that are a throwback to the discredited medieval concepts. Our own blessed land — though created through expression of the popular will and whose founding fathers were committed democrats — has also been caught in a vicious cycle of dictatorships ousting elected governments, at frequent intervals. The ignominy of seeing a messiah come charging in, proclaiming his resolve to clean the proverbial Augean stables and “save” the country has deeply traumatised the nation and left an indelible scar on its soul.
The enormous fallout of this oft-repeated folly has been to destroy institutions of state, sow seeds of disillusionment in the smaller federating units and create fresh fault lines in the federation. We have been through this experiment four times, with each one a greater disaster than the one before, which is why the departure of the last usurper was greeted with relief and joy.
However, just when it appeared that we had seen the last of the despised dictator, he decided to return to “save Pakistan”! Though people’s memories are proverbially short, no one has forgotten what this country experienced during those eight turbulent years: trashing of the Constitution, brutal imprisonment of an elected prime minister, forcible exile of another, rigged referendum, creation of a fake political party to give a civilian façade to an authoritarian rule, as well as the duplicitous policy of hunting with the Americans and running with the Taliban. But the “icing” on the regime’s achievement was the dismissal, house arrest and physical mishandling of the chief justice, which finally woke up this country’s hitherto sleepy civil society.
When the dictator was finally eased out, the nation renewed its commitment to the ideals of its founding fathers and began the painful task of repair and rehabilitation of the democratic institutions, to re-enter the international community of nations with the dignity and respect that it deserves. This also explains the overwhelming enthusiasm in the populace for the forthcoming elections.
But then, this great general was always known for bluster and braggadocio — camouflaged as bravery and courage — rather than for sagacity and judiciousness. His own biography is a testimony to his strong streak of narcissism and his lifelong self-delusion that he was not only physically irresistible but intellectually overpowering as well. So long as he was merely commanding troops, his fanciful ideas were merely irritants to his colleagues. But when he took command of the finest body of soldiers, his faults were to bring unprecedented disaster and ignominy to the country.
After eight years of strutting the stage proclaiming his virtues, while giving free rein to his vices, we now have the bizarre spectacle of the commando fleeing from the courtroom, while his lawyers protest the living conditions of his own house, where he is currently imprisoned. It appears that his infatuation with his own vanity and craving for admiration have finally led him to enact a farce, after having inflicted a tragedy on this nation.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 24th, 2013.
COMMENTS (18)
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@Mercurial: Actually an Indian cleric, Maulana Mahmood Madani, gave a resounding 'slap' on Musharraf's cheek when he tried to play religious politics while on a visit to India. You can watch that incident here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP9JCusfje0
A very biased comments not expected from a man remained in higher diplomatic posts for so long.
The author says, "...and began the painful task of repair and rehabilitation of the democratic institutions, to re-enter the international community of nations with the dignity and respect that it deserves."
I take this with a proverbial pinch of salt because I never understood why Gen. Kayani was invited to almost all meetings which had nothing to do with military. Even discussions on foreign policy were in his 'august' presence.
In most of the democracies, COAS is separately consulted when necessary, but he is never invited to attend cabinet-level meetings.
In case of Zardari-Gilani government, I got an impression that all discussions, even of political nature, were conducted with an eye on Kayani's face to see if he nods or shakes his head before taking the final decision.
Having come out of the clutches of the second-worst dictator Mush-I still rate Zia as the worst-this was understandable and I hope that the new elected government in May will do away with this rather undignifying practice.
@K B Kale: Certainly, why would Indians love anyone who has the potential to slap them on their faces while in India!
Of all the insinuations you're casting against him, you can't prove an iota of it. It proves that your mindset, and your pieces of writing, are nothing but a senseless, baseless, and vengeful rhetoric.
You want him to be punished for his role in assasination of BB. What a laugh. Whole world knows he wasn't a part of it, he can't be a part of it, and he was not the beneficiaries of BB's death. Your insistence on the issue shows you haven't got the slightest idea of the reality.
Which world are you living in?
What a wonderful summary of misdeeds of my favourite subject-Mush. In my many articles on him in Jakarta Post, NavhindTimes and in some Marathi newspapers, I have called him the biggest cheat (a fox), a chameleon changing his colours to suit the circumstances, a blatant lier with a perfectly straight face, a double-crosser who dumped Taliban government "because the ground reality changed", joined America's "War on terror" to avoid being "bombed into stone age", but made a "private arrangement" with Al Qaeda/Taliban! I hope he gets a fair trial & sent to gallows eventually for his role in the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. He seems quite dumb because had he been any wiser, he would have gone back to Dubai when he saw just a handful of people to welcome him at Karachi airport. He is used to running from tight situations blaming others. He did it in a recent war-in fact, a misadventure-in which he didn't even own his soldiers leaving them to suffer & now from the high court in Islamabad!
A leader is a person who leads from the front, gives moral support to his followers and who stands with them through thick and thin. He would NEVER leave them in the lurch in bad times. Nawaz Sharif DOES NOT come in this category. Please DO NOT call him a leader.
Could you expect anything but a biased comment from a NS apologist.Wonder how such people with myopic views represent the country diplomatically.For whatever Mush was his rule was far more vibrant,progressive and financially stable than the so called democrats.NS was almost ready to declare himself 'Amirul Momineen' under the garb of democracy.The PML(N) has always had nepotism as its hallmark and the party is anything but democratic.After the two Sherrifs come in in laws,then the daughters and sons and then the rest of the baradari and a ling list of professional wannabes who have mastered the art of flattery and raised it to a science.Give us a break_at least Mush gave you one of the fairest elections,a vibrant free press and technology plus a stable economy.
Sorry to say but this article (rant) seems like a farce!
S,o long solution will be searched in a person there bound to be mistakes and temptation to be corrupt. Alternatively solution of problems is searched in institution . Here also there is every possibility of corrupt activities but the same can by be checked by institutionalizing the decision making process with transparency.. Monarchy or the authoritarian rule does not allow you any check and balance strategy. . There have been experiments on this line in the past and Einstein had said that repeating the same action but expecting a different result is Insanity. Choice lies with the people.
A most powerful piece that needs to be read and understood by all those who are still under the impression that the military dictator did anything good for the country. He ran this country for eight years with unlimited powers and yet left the Federation weaker, poorer and with greater and deeper problems than in the past. It is time for him to fade away.
Well. very impressive indeed Sir. But what next?
So, what happens when one leaves earth? Who is the sovereign in vast spaces of the universe that is not earth (and certainly not heaven)?
Sir, you are supporting Nawaz Sharif, a believer of Divine Right of Family to rule.
No country for good people Musharaf go somewhere else
Dear Sir,
Have you forgotten when absolute power was attained by democratically elected king Nawaz Sharif, who than proclaimed himself " ameer ul momineen" . He politicized top brass of army and tried to fire army chief while he was in air. Have you forgotten the attack of politicians on the Supreme Court? How come the same people elected king got his factories increased from one to twenty in couple of years. And please do not forget the same prime minister nawaz sharif used to call another dictator his " roohani baap"
Well written and right on the money!
Dear Sir,
To reply shortly to your anti-Mush rant, let me tell you, whatever he did was better than what your favorite politician (whichever) has ever done for the country.
You say that: "When the dictator was finally eased out, the nation renewed its commitment to the ideals of its founding fathers and began the painful task of repair and rehabilitation of the democratic institutions, to re-enter the international community of nations with the dignity and respect that it deserves."
Sir, please, we all know what has been happening in the past five years AFTER this dictator eased out. And we very well know what has been happening in the eight years BEFORE that. He might have subverted the constitution and jailed politicians, but for the general public he is much better than any politician you can nominate.
So please, stop.