At the end of a quiet lane snaking through the well-heeled Islamabad suburb of Chak Shahzad, a terracotta-coloured house modelled on a Moroccan courtyard home stands amid spreading orchards and wheat fields. It would be a restful, bucolic scene, were it not for the 300 policemen, paramilitaries, soldiers, snipers and anti-terrorist officers on hand to guard the owner, Pervez Musharraf, former leader of Pakistan. The one-time military strongman is under house arrest but enjoying detention deluxe: writing his memoirs, working out each day and eating meals cooked by his personal chef. The former general, who ruled from 1999 to 2008 after deposing an elected government in a bloodless coup, returned to Pakistan in March after years of self-imposed exile in London. He returned vowing to stand in the general election and “save” Pakistan, but his arrival restarted a barrage of legal cases related to his time in power, including murder charges over the death of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007. The Chak Shahzad house was declared a “sub-jail” by a court in April, and he has lived there in detention ever since, as the cases against him grind through Pakistan’s slow-moving judicial system. As the man who allied his country with Washington in its “war on terror” after the 9/11 attacks, Musharraf is in danger from Islamist militants who have vowed to kill him. The house he commissioned back in 2006, at the height of his power, was still under construction when he was forced from power and into exile. It is now both his prison and his refuge. “The house was 95 per cent finished before he left, but the first time he spent a night in the house was after he came back this year,” said Hammad Husain, the architect. Aides say Musharraf, 70, is keeping his body in shape with 75-minute workouts every morning and his mind sharp with reading and writing. “He is writing a second book. I have seen the text. He has written substantially but there is still work to be done,” his official spokesman, Raza Bokhari, said. The new volume will follow on from his first book of memoirs published in 2006, In the Line of Fire. “It is picking up from 2007 onwards, from the peak of his popularity to his downfall, to life in self-imposed exile and then formation of a political party and return to Pakistan,” Bokhari said. Despite the rigorous security, provided under the auspices of the tough Adyala prison in Rawalpindi, Musharraf still fears his enemies will try to get to him. “His food is not prepared in prison but on the premises, by his cook, for security reasons. He is afraid of being poisoned,” a prison source said. He keeps a close eye on his legal tussles, accusations his entourage dismiss as politically motivated, “false, fabricated and fictitious”. In Pakistan, court cases can drag on interminably, but charges can also be dropped overnight when an agreement emerges to let the accused leave the country. There have been rumours for months of a possible deal to let Musharraf go back into exile, to avoid a clash between the government and the all-powerful army, which is keen to avoid seeing one of its own tried by civilians. His team admit the cases against him could last years, but insist the old soldier is in top form to “fight another fight he has to fight”. “He is in very good spirits. He’s a strong person,” said an aide.
what a shame that this man has not been fully held to account for his actions. he should be in adyala jail and not under house arrest at his farm house. surely adyala is more secure. unless we as a nation are prepared to punish this man and make an example of him, other generals would still try for a coup
Which world are you living in Humayun Akhtar? Lets put an end to personal vendettas because statistics and events in Pakistan do not support your contention or have we also become incapable of rational analysis. We certainly have morphed into a collection of 20 crore Judges, Juries and Prosecutors all rolled into one. Let me assure you, whenever the situation becomes a dire threat to national security, no amount of legislation, judicial verbosity etc can and will prevent the Armed Forces of Pakistan from taking over. In the profession of soldiering there is something known as 'action above and beyond the call of duty' which either fetches a Nishan e Haider or costs you your life.
The man who ordered the plane carrying more than 240 passengers including COAS of your country, not to land putting the lives of all in danger and had changed and appointed 2/3 Chief of Army whimsically within months was pardoned and sent to SArabia by this hon'ble General instead of getting him hanged under Article 6. You are not only talking against that great General / great Pakistani by heart but also proving that you are a supporter of that criminal NS & group.
You are an SOB Mr moderator
Kickass that makes Mr Moderator your brother .. says regards to your mummy :))
The man has served his country well. He came back to his country to face all the allegations levelled against him. Who does not become power hungry once in power. Can some one provide examples. Musharraf is living in his own house and the security is there to see that law takes it's course but it is denying him justice by delaying tactics. The number of charges labelled against him will soon put him in the guiness book of records.
remember two wrongs do not make one right. like zia this man simply used pakistan for his own interest. he sold pakistan to bush just on one call.
smile
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