Justice for Musharraf

He must face the consequences of what he did

What goes around, comes around, or so is former military dictator Pervez Musharraf finding out within a week of his arrival back in the country he once ruled over with brute force for almost nine years. With what he did to others, including the then sitting prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, and later the justices of superior judiciary, the adage above seems to take on its literal meaning. On his part though, the former dictator is confident of his innocence, claiming that nothing would happen to him as the courts have nothing on him. One might ask him if that were the case, why he needed almost four years to prove his oft repeated slogan of “Pakistan first”.

His arrival at the cusp of elections is another interesting point. While he might believe in democracy, as he so often claims, what the people of Pakistan remember him for is his dictatorial rule. His professing love for representative democracy may be a good thing, but then again he should first give himself up to the system and accept the justice it metes out to him for what he did during his rule. Other than his coup d’etat on the democratic system, he is believed to be involved in gross human rights violations, particularly in Balochistan, killing of Akbar Bugti, Laal masjid operation and illegal confinement of judges of superior judiciary among many others. Though he has been granted bail in the three cases he is facing in the courts, the Sindh High Court has ordered FIA to put his name on the Exit Control List, and asked Musharraf not to leave the country without permission.

Talking to CNN the other day, after his appearance before the court, Pervez Musharraf said that he felt a little “insulted and humiliated” standing before a judge. One may remind the dictator of old that he must stop complaining now that the shoe is on another foot, man up and face the consequences of his deeds. He will get justice that he deserves; that’s one of the good aspects of democracy. Moreover, he should be mindful of what he did to Nawaz Sharif, whom he had handcuffed and put in shackles before being hurled out of the country after a farcical court case. And how can one forget how he treated the superior judiciary, which he put under illegal confinement after it didn’t acquiesce to his illegal demands. But if he really proves to be innocent, it would be interesting to see how much his political party, the APML, can affect elections, whether he would be able to sway the urban middle class, business community and expatriates, which form his hardcore supporters. If he does prove his innocence then perhaps bygones could really be bygones, but before any of that happens he must stand trial and be a man about that.