Dictator who pretended to be a liberal

New Delhi, December 17

A retired four-star general of the Pakistan Army, Pervez Musharraf ruled the country through a tumultuous period for nine years after he assumed power in a military coup against then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999. His legacy remains a mixed bag of both economic transformation and constitutional erosion in Pakistan.

Born in Delhi during the British rule, Musharraf was raised in Karachi and Istanbul. Appointed by Sharif as the head of the Pakistani Armed Forces, General Musharraf led the infiltration in India’s Kargil region of the then Jammu and Kashmir state and now a part of the Ladakh Union Territory.

The 1999 Kargil War, which Pakistan lost, turned out to be a major embarrassment for Sharif when he was asked by the US to retreat. Sharif unsuccessfully attempted to remove Musharraf, who overthrew the democratically elected government and imposed military rule in the country.

Two years after he came to power, the global Islamist terror group Al Qaida headed by Osama bin Laden launched the September 11 attacks against the US. The attacks propelled Musharraf into greater significance when he decided to join America’s war against terror in Afghanistan. After a decade-long manhunt, bin Laden was found and killed by American Navy SEALS in a private residential compound in Abbattobad, Pakistan, leading many to believe that he had been sheltered and protected by Pakistan under Musharraf all along.

However, the war helped Musharraf to strengthen his position in Pakistan. He remained Pakistan’s army chief and appointed himself initially chief executive. In 2001, he became the President of Pakistan and held talks with India at the Agra summit to resolve Kashmir and other issues between the two countries. — IANS

Tryst with terror

• Two years after Pervez Musharraf came to power, the global Islamist terror group Al Qaida headed by Osama bin Laden launched the September 11 attacks against the US
• The attacks propelled Musharraf into greater significance when he decided to join America’s war against terror in Afghanistan. After a decade-long manhunt, bin Laden was found and killed by American Navy SEALS, leading many to believe that he had been sheltered and protected by Pakistan under Musharraf all along.
  

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Staring at gallows: former president held accountable for actions

October 6, 2007 Musharraf wins re-election in a contested presidential vote

November 3 He declares a state of emergency and fires several prominent judges to consolidate his grip on the courts

November 28 Musharraf resigns as Pakistan Army chief and is sworn in for a new five-year term as president.

August 2008 He resigns after the two main governing parties agree to launch impeachment proceedings against him

July 31, 2009 Pakistan’s Supreme Court rules that November 3, 2007 acts of Musharraf as unconstitutional and abrogation, subversion of the Constitution

November 19, 2013 The PML-N government submits five charges of high treason against Musharraf in a special court

December 12 Special court summons Musharraf to face treason charges

January 2, 2014 He is moved to hospital after suffering a “heart problem” while on his way for the case hearing

March 18, 2016 He leaves for Dubai to seek medical treatment

May 11 Special court declares Musharraf an absconder in the high treason case against him

November 27, 2019 The Islamabad High Court stops special court from announcing verdict in the treason case against him

December 5 Special court says it will announce the verdict in the case on December 17

December 17 Special court hands Musharraf death sentence in the high treason case against him

#Musharraf trends online

Following the verdict, Twitter users hailed the decision while several others came out in his support. Many users also demanded similar penal action against former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. #musharraf trended with 9,892 tweets.

“Democracy is the best revenge.” —Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, PPP chief

“With this, hopefully in the future the tradition of breaking the Constitution will end.” —Ahsan Iqbal, PML (Nawaz) secretary general

“What is the benefit of such verdicts which increase distances and divides and by which the country and institutions are divided? —Fawad Chaudhry, Minister for Science and Technology

Decision hailed

“Congratulations Pakistan! Whether this penalty is enforced or not is yet to be seen but this is big. First time in our history. Hats off to the brave judges! End of military misadventures in Pakistan as Musharraf gets death for treason. Long live the Constitution.”

‘Sad day’

“Sad day in the history of Pakistan, where a judgment has been given without hearing the defendant. Also, General Musharraf has been singled out in this case shows the malafide intention of Nawaz Sharif and Iftikhar Chaudhary.”