Musharraf itching to return

Daunting challenges await the former dictator

“It is now or never” was Pervez Musharraf’s mantra when speaking about his return to Pakistan from Dubai. The skeptics have already assumed the answer is the later. A week after the caretaker setup takes charge is the proposed date of arrival his advisers have put forward. But this is certainly not the first time Musharraf has offered a return date. Musharraf’s repeated change of date of arrival has begun to resemble the Aesop’s famous shepherd boy’s fable: people eventually stop believing the cries of ‘wolf.’ The retired general continues to test the waters and conclude conditions are not ripe for his return. His warrants are out in a number of high-profile cases, including the Benazir Bhutto assassination case and Nawab Akbar Bugti murder case. The ghost of the Lal Masjid case has also been raised while an Anti-Terrorism Court only last week ruled that his assets would remain seized. The FIA special prosecutor also assured that Musharraf would be arrested upon arrival “before or after the formation of the caretaker setup.” The Damocles sword of Article 6 also continues to loom over the former general for suspending of the Constitution and with a judiciary that appears willing, it is only a question of political forces mustering enough political will to put a living former COAS on trial. This is perhaps the reason why Musharraf has called for the army to “supervise the elections.”

Perhaps the one indicator that Musharraf may actually be intent upon coming is the about turn he has taken in his love affair with the US. In an article published in a US magazine, Musharraf has pinned the blame on US policies for the failed war on terror. While Musharraf may have learnt from his mistakes, the question is why did he follow US dictates when in power? Regarding his declared willingness to face all the cases against him, the only way for the self-proclaimed ‘commando’ to prove it is to return to Pakistan.

However, the question still remains outstanding: what does Musharraf gain from returning to Pakistan just before the elections? His political party continues to function rudderless and has lost some of its staunchest supporters, including Fawad Chaudhry and Sher Afgan Niazi – the former through defection and the latter through death. Maybe the controversial former president wants to keep the ‘threat’ of his return as a way keep his nuisance value alive amongst international circles. A judgment call on his seriousness to return cannot be made. However, to think out loud, what harm is there to let the former dictator having a shot at the ballot box? Especially if he has insisted he shall seek votes in the Dera Bugti area too – voters may deliver a comprehensive verdict better than anyone else on his tenure.