My Bhaijan Pervez Musharraf

This is not 1^st time that I am addressing him as my Bhaijan rather I addressed him alike many times which had been published in Frontier Post and other newspapers during 2007 and 2008. We both are Urdu speaking and I am born in December 1943 while he is born in August 1943 and it is very much customary that in Urdu speaking community even a day older is addressed as Bhaijan. However it must be clarified that I will not be prejudiced whatsoever rather will pen nothing but facts and facts alone unless I am my own enemy and want to dent my reputation of being a neutral person.

He has announced to be returning on 24^th which means just after couple of days as he had indicated some days back while giving interview to ARY television channel which I also listened to and though I am happy to see him back but at the same time I am to point out that he must stick to his words to be honest if not annoying. He had said in the interview that he will fly back within one week after caretaker government has taken place and at that point of time he believed that interim PM must have taken charge on time and hence a week has passed since then so 24^th could possibly be the date for him to fly back but regretfully the ground reality is much different. Both opposition and the government had many meetings and discussions but they utterly failed to find a common man acceptable to both to be the care taker prime minister. Next tire to select interim prime minister is a parliamentary committee  but one way or the other name of the care taker PM has still not been agreed upon even by the parliamentary committee which has met for last two days and today is that last 3^rd day for it to decide otherwise the ball will be in the court of Pakistan Election Commission to decide within two days which means that new PM will be personified by ECP maximum by 24^th and therefore 24^th does not suit him to return unless he has completely forgotten that his return was conditional to the formation of new government. I think he should re-schedule his return which could be any date between 29^th to 31^st March but not 1^st April for quite obvious reasons.

Musharraf as per news aired on television channel has asked the government to provide him bullet proof vehicle on his return so that he can run around in the country which to me is a quite genuine request which must to be approved for the simple reason that when Mian Nawaz Sharif being a former prime minister has been provided such vehicle then why Musharraf who had been President can be denied it. It must be forgotten at all that President certainly gets an edge over Prime Minister so he cannot be ignored. Luckily or unluckily both of them are heading two political parties in any case so there should not and cannot be any discrimination between the two leaders in any case unless and unless the government does not believe in equality and favor someone and ignore someone which will set very bad precedence if at all it happens so. It is really unfortunate that human blood has become dirt cheap in Pakistan and our both official and private records prove that thousands of innocent lives have been lost in recent past all over the country and therefore Musharraf is justified asking for a bullet proof vehicle for himself. Doesn’t it clash with his loud claim that millions Pakistanis are with him so why is he scared and from whom? Didn’t he pronounce in the television interview that he being a certified and richly experienced commando very well knows how to defend himself?

Interpol which is the largest police organization on the face of earth has been approached by Pakistan government to arrest Pervez Musharraf and send him back to Pakistan to face some court cases where he has been named as a co-accused. Incidentally it must be mentioned that this is not the 1^st time that Interpol has ignored the request of the government rather it has refused to do so earlier as well. Truly speaking in the very 1^st instance it is very shameful on our part to understand that our FIA did not to know as to whether its request to Interpol to arrest Musharraf is maintainable or not. It is very regretted that our FIA has nakedly exposed itself before Interpol. Our Federal Investigation Agency should not have initiated it and if at all it had initiated then it should have ensured that its request is agreed to and not turned down instead. What surprises me the most is that once Interpol had rejected to arrest Musharraf then FIA must have proved to be diligent and efficient not to approach again Interpol or instead should have gone all out to get him arrested as per the second attempt but we failed twice. Shouldn’t all those involved in reaching to Interpol be punished for earning a black spot of unprofessionalism for none but FIA which is construed to be a prize organization of the country? Needless to mention that in the given situation Pakistan has been ridiculed and rebuked twice at global level and therefore right from top to bottom all be punished suitably and under no circumstances it be ignore or pocketed if we have any national pride.

It has also been reported in media that Musharraf’s daughter Aalia Raza who very much resides in Pakistan has on behalf of her father has engaged two very prominent lawyers namely Barrister Salman Safdar and A.Q. Halipota to apply for bail before arrest in Sindh, Punjab and Baluchistan because in the back of his mind he is afraid of being nabbed on murder of Benazir Bhutto, Akbar Bugti, Lal Masjid and judges cases etc. As a citizen of the country he enjoys an inborn right to approach courts seeking bail before arrest but nevertheless it does indicate that his chances of being arrested cannot be ruled out otherwise he has not engaged lawyers in any case. He on his part has always said very confidently, emphatically and categorically that he is not at all accountable and is held responsible in any of these cases but the fact is that his name has been mentioned as an accused in these cases. Time and again we heard and read that someone has falsely been accused in some cases and perhaps Musharraf is one of those who are implicated for no genuine reasons. However, after going through the legal process it will be the moral responsibility and legal obligation of our courts to either convict Musharraf or expunge him.

In sum up, I will say that Musharraf by returning to Pakistan is even risking his life what to talk of his repute and honor but for what is baffling question which at least haunts me if not you. He is saying that he realizes that ever since he quit the power as President of Pakistan in 2008 the country has gone backward and people are facing hell of difficulties and therefore he wants to reverse the situation. So far so good but if I am not blunt Musharraf is absolutely power hungry otherwise monetarily speaking he is earning quite hefty amounts, more than Bill Clinton, from delivering lectures all over the globe so what could be the rationale to come back but he utterly lacks in moral courage to say it publicly that he is more concerned to garb power than alleviating his compatriots.

Bhaijan! All the best  and I wish you earn more and more laurels in your life but nevertheless it reminds me of the quote saying that power makes man corrupt and absolute power makes absolute corrupt.

Iqbal Hadi Zaidi / Kuwait