Speaking from the dustbin of history
Musharraf, the former ‘fearless’ commando, abandoned the party he had created and left the country to save his skin. He is now evading summons sent by courts ordering him to appear. Despite the braggadocio that characterises the man he does not have the guts to face the cases. He hasn’t responded to summons by the Supreme Court in Benazir’s murder case where he is wanted as a suspect and a witness and the warrants issued by a Balochistan court where he has been nominated for ordering the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti.
Musharraf exhibited signs of murderous tendencies at numerous occasions. He once expressed the desire to strangulate Abdullah Mehsud with his own hands. Months before the orders to kill Nawab Akbar Bugti were issued, he said the rebels that he claimed were led by Bugti, “will not know what hit them”.
Suddenly, early this week Musharraf claimed that Akbar Bugti was not murdered but had committed suicide. The afterthought is an indication that the fugitive from justice is having cold feet. This is a stand Musharraf never took during his tenure or in later years. Instead he repeatedly maintained that he did not regret the action and would take it again “if forced by the situation”.
Three other government leaders who were named in the FIR against Bugti’s murder have never claimed that the Baloch leader committed suicide. All have distanced themselves from the gory incident that took place during the two-day military operation.
In his statement submitted before the court former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz took the stand that he was “used as a tool” by the then President Musharraf and had nothing to do with the Bugti murder case. Former Interior Minister Sherpao and former Governor Balochistan Owais Ahmad Ghani told Balochistan High Court in their statements that since they were part of the civilian set-up, and the operation was launched by the army, they had nothing to do with Bugti’s killing.
The tragic event had put the PML(Q) leaders who supported Musharraf on the defensive. Ch Shujaat who had led the team to hold negotiations with Bugti had already complained that his suggestions were ignored in favour of those of the agencies. None of the PML(Q) members ever suggested that Bugti had committed suicide.
Musharraf had a deep seated grudge against Akbar Bugti who had declined to cooperate in the suppression of the Marri tribesmen. How could this old man guarded by a few hundred Baloch youth with outdated weapons dare to refuse the COAS-cum-President who considered himself the master of all that he surveyed?
What riled Musharraf further was another event. In 2005, an army captain was accused of raping a lady doctor in Sui. The incident, taking place right inside Bugti heartland, was seen by the tribe as a breach of their code of honour. They attacked the gas field with rockets, mortars and AK-47 rounds. Musharraf sent an uncompromising response: tanks, helicopters and an extra 4,500 soldiers to guard the installation. Bugti refused to hold talks. Dr Shazia’s rape comes first, he maintained. “As long as the perpetrators of this heinous crime are not dealt with, there can be no talks,” he said.
While afraid to face the courts, Musharraf retains the hubris while talking about the Baloch. In a recent article “Understanding Balochistan” which appeared on Thursday, he reminds the Baloch of the favours he has done to them as President. He expects them to kiss his hands and remain forever grateful to him. Like a colonial official angry at the ingratitude shown by ‘bloody’ Indians seeking independence from the British rule, he lists some of the wonders that he performed to raise the Baloch from their primitive condition of life.
It is travesty of history that a man who pushed an otherwise peaceful Balochistan into insurrection should claim to be the province’s benefactor. Before Musharraf’s arrival there were no attacks on outsiders which began only after desperation caused by Bugti’s killing. Nationalist leaders were seeking their rights through the ballot rather than bullet. Both Bugti and Akhtar Mengal were elecetd the chief ministers of the province.
It was during the Musharraf era that “forced disappearances” – a euphemism for kidnapping and keeping the Baloch nationalists incognito for months and in cases for years – became a common practice. This was a thorough violation of the constitution and the law. Hundreds of political activists were forcibly taken away by the security agencies and tortured. The affected families went on hunger strikes, there were protest marches and shutter down strikes. The courts failed to come to the rescue of the plaintiffs. Parliament turned out to be ineffective to redress the grievances. The practice continued year after year and left the Baloch thoroughly alienated.
The fateful killing of Bugti changed everything. With a major supporter of the federation eliminated, the slogan of an independent Balochistan has gained widespread popularity. Musharraf thinks he is still popular in Balochistan. All that he needs to do to prove the claim is to take a bicycle ride in any Baloch city, say Gwadar, where he prides over setting up a deep sea port.
The writer is a former academic and a political analyst.
Absolute non snese
Yes the author must a 'former academic' has not refuted any of the claims Musharraf made about developments in Balochistan. And has not answered the question: What did Bugti do when he was governor in Dera Bugti never mind anywhere else in Balochistan. The millions he got annually – were they used for any good of the Baloch? There is no debate that Pakistan in 65 years shortchanged Balochistan but this still does not answer the question what did the Baloch in government do for their people other than line their own pockets. Finally what percent of the population of Balochistan is in revolt? I think this former political analyst should brush up his knowledge of Balochistan.
Blah…
The subject is Mush. He is a criminal, an ex-president of Pak and aspiring to become president again. The fact remains he is a simple low life criminal…
Very funny that ex PM Shaukat Aziz says he was used as a tool. If a PM allows himself to be used as a tool, he should be hanged upside down and his title as ex PM should be withdrawn. Tool PMs deserve no better.
If the picture as shown along with the column is correct and it is of the columnist, i am wondering why this guy is writing columns in a reputed newspaper. instead he should be selling "Imli aloo buharay ka sharbat" in coming summer. Article is complete bull shit
If parvez musharraf is not coming back and according to writer he is a fugitive and afraid to face courts, what Benazir and Nawaz Sharif were doing abroad for 8 to 9 years. were they also afraid of facing courts and had no guts to come back. And if i remember Balochistan was not as peaceful as writer is claiming it was prior to PM era. Even if it was, then it was because no government has the gutts to take on the raging bull in the shape of SARDARS of balochistan. they were so strong that civil governments were afraid to take any actions against them. political compulsions were another factor. Lately it has become a favourite hobby of our so called journalists to criticize army and agencies for everything. Army and agencies are not angels and they also make mistakes or even blunders, but where Our democratically elected representatives are making fun of court orders and publicly refusing to obey them, Military has much better record with trials and punishments of its personal involved in any crime wrong doings, Remember the shooting of a boy in Karachi by rangers, Army major involved in selling wires by stealing from Railway boggies,current trial underway of a brigadier for alleged links with a banned organization, and most recently sentences of army persons in Rwanda for sexually abusing a local boy. Above all ISI,and MI about them we never stops thinking any saying that they have no respect and are supposed to be above law,these agencies are going to SC and facing the courts and somehow complying with courts orders. And if a case is registered against PM for killing Bugti, than the Relatives of all terrorist those have been killed so far in the operations for Security forces should also file cases against Security people. And kindly also put some light, how 24 soldiers from army were killed including major ranks officers during the operation in which bugti was killed, if baloch youths those were protecting bugti had only outdated weapons.were those soldiers killed by the garlands that BUGTI,S putted around their necks. And finally any So called Baloch nationalist leader has the courage to ride a bicycle in the whole Balochistan. If it was the case than why Talal bugti was wandering around with dozen bullet proof vehicles full of weapons.
Dr Shazia's claim of being raped proved to be false, the officer is still serving in military…! Firing hundreds of rockets and mortors on an govt installation in responce as justified by the writer in his article is hilarious.
It is all over the world that people who ever are suspected of spying / aiding such activity for the enemies are removed from the scene, at times people in uniform, if found to be involved in such activities meet the same fate.
You are saying Dr. Shazia's rape case is false! You are said 'proved'! We know about these 'proved'. We know about those people who talks about 'proved'.
You and your friends (below): Aren't you guys just coneys of the military regime? Don't you guys belong to the same criminal gang that Mush led?
i wonder how much money this old senile man received to write this laughably biased and twisted article? go sell hot dogs mr. ahmad. and wipe that stupid smirk off your face.
This is really quite a directionless bit of writing. What is any leader of a country supposed to do when someone is leading an armed rebellion against the state, is killing soldiers and damaging national infrastructure? Also, exactly as the above posts have stated…what did this foolish old Bugti do for his people during his terms in government? What does any of these sardars do for their people? Does anybody really think that these Bugti sardars are victims? Just see what Shahzain did to journalists in Islamabad recently, what Taleh Bugti did several times in Karachi (shooting up parties and streets), what Brahamdagh has been doing in Balochistan (ethnic cleansing), what their grandpa did to win his position (he killed his own uncle) and what that vicious old goon did throughout his life (he savaged anybody he felt like mistreating and he usually got away with it). What these SOBs need to learn is that nobody is above the law and that a soldier from an ordinary family will be more empowered than any of these idiot sardars…we will stand with our soldiers and we will demand total elimination of all sardars!
Peple like the writer of this article should not be paroled from the mental hospital. He is only able to write and publish an article like this because of PM. He was the best chance Pakistan had of any progress. Compare his term to anyone else's. More progress has been made during his term than any other in the history of the country.
Dear Writer,
Someone invited my attention to this article and I have read the comments posted here.
I appreciate your endeavour to highlight the Balochistan crisis. At this forum, none of the commentators/critics wrote words reflecting they are from Balochistan or has any idea about the Baloch plight. These are chamchas of General Musharraf and hell bent on protecting his deeds. General Musharraf’s did a crime against federation. Keep writing and don’t be discouraged by these critics.
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