LAHORE: The Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, commenting on the October 12, 1999 coup, said it was a deep conspiracy to obstruct the journey of development and prosperity of the nation.
“The nation is still facing the negative consequences of this undemocratic and unconstitutional step,” he added.
In a message on the eve of the coup of the then army chief Gen Pervez Musharraf, the chief minister said that October 12, 1999 was the darkest day in the democratic and political history of the country when a dictator dethroned the popularly elected democratic government through unconstitutional means.
“The process of national development and prosperity has always been weakened during the dictatorial regimes,” he said, adding, “Had the democratic process not been sabotaged during different tenures of national history, the country would not have been facing the acute problems today; the state of the country would have been altogether different.”
He said political workers and leaders suffering difficulties during the martial law tenure were the heroes. “Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has always played an effective role in the strengthening of democracy and democratic institutions,” the CM said.
He added that the solution of country’s problems lies in the continuity of democracy and adherence to the constitution. For the sake of brighter future of the democracy, he said, “We will have to give priority to the national development by setting aside personal stakes.”
His statement added that “today, we should make a sovereign pledge that we shall not make any step against democracy and the constitution to succeed.”
It is pertinent to mention here that the 1999 Pakistani coup d’état was a bloodless coup d’état in which the Pakistan Army and then-chief of army staff and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Pervez Musharraf, seized the control of the civilian government of publicly elected prime minister Nawaz Sharif on October 12, 1999.
