Musharraf 's Last Exit

The nine year rule of Pakistani President Pervez Musharaf finally came to an end today after he submitted his resignation to Parliament. This surely is an end of an era, which for many of us was our first conscious political experience. General Pervez Musharraf was one of the longest serving leaders of the country and for much of his tenure he remained a highly respected, admired and popular leader who guided Pakistan through a tumultuous period gaining a great deal of national and international respect on the way. However, things changed drastically for him some 18 months ago when he decided to sack the Chief Justice and enter into an ill planned battle with the entire judicial system. Since then it’s been one bad move after another, leaving him with no better option than a safe and honourable exit.

There can be little doubt that had the Chief Justice debacle not taken place and / or Benazir Bhutto not been assassinated, Musharraf would still very much be in power. This is not to say that he should have continued to stay in power. I think Musharraf lost his way much earlier, perhaps around the time that Chaudhry Shujat was appointed the acting Prime Minister of Pakistan, followed by Shaukat Aziz as PM. (By the way it’s telling that Shaukat Aziz took the first flight out of the country while Musharraf is fighting to remain in the country.)

It is essential to remember that when Musharraf seized power he was regarded as a saviour who had ridden Pakistan of the menace that is Nawaz Sharif. The disastrous reign of Nawaz Sharif had resulted in the public losing all confidence in the political leaders of the country and when Musharraf stepped in, as an all-powerful military dictator, he was greeted with near unanimous support; a support that stayed with him for much of his time in power. This allowed him to take some very bold steps and Musharraf will always be remembered for his role in laying the foundations of a vibrant media, not to mention his role in the development of the economy. Though, I guess his security and foreign policies will always be a point of debate. But policies weren't all that Musharraf was about. He was a leader with whom a large number of Pakistanis, especially Karachiites, shared an ideology with – before Enlightened Moderation became a catch phrase, it was a symbol that urban Pakistanis had been searching for years and readily identified with. Moreover, Pakistanis hadn’t seen a leader they could look up to in quite some time; in Musharraf they found a person they could respect and admire. But then the wheels came off and he was stuck; he was a man who lost friends and was now short on ideas.

The one thing that he was sure about was that he had to remain in power. Musharraf always held the belief that destiny drove him to power and he was the last savior of the Pakistani people so he needed a way of remaining in power. He knew he couldn’t keep hold of the military forever, thus he needed other means of remaining relevant. It would be idiotic to say that Pakistani politicians were the main force behind Musharraf’s decision to shed his uniform. Such a statement undermines the internal political pressures that he must have felt from within the army.

The armed forces of Pakistan are the last remaining [relatively] meritocratic institution in Pakistan. To be a General, you have to be a good soldier and a great commander. To be the Army Chief, you must also be supremely ambitious and have maniacal self-belief. So if you imagine yourself to have all these qualities and want to be the next Army Chief, you’re not going to be happy sitting around for years and years only to retire in the process, you’re definitely going to start knocking on the door and after seven years of knocking you may just think of breaking that door open. If Musharraf knew that he couldn’t hold on to the uniform for ever, he also knew that becoming a civilian President was perhaps his only hope.

Unfortunately for Musharraf he did not have the time to master the political game. It was just his luck (and the short sightedness of some of his policies) that his segue into a primarily civilian domain was accompanied by a resurgence of violence in Baluchistan, the emergence of the Pakistani Taliban, Benazir’s assassination, an idiotic Chief Justice, Lal Masjid and the rise of Islamist militancy and a bunch of scheming, vengeful politicians. To borrow a term from NB's mother, 'he was a lonely lion being chased out by a pack of hyenas'.

Today’s public address was Musharraf’s last hurrah. His speech was a rather balanced and conciliatory affair, which says a lot about the man (as well as the deal that he may have struck!). Musharraf’s speeches have always fascinated me. He manages to command an audience while lacking key oratorial skills such as the ability to form complete sentences. Today’s speech was no different. He was commanding and strong, never unsure of himself even as he mumbled his words or shot out a short, excited bunch of words that sounded exaclty like an order. Much of what he said was measured, and balanced but elusive. He emphaisised the economic gains that were made during his tenure and reminded the country of how well he had guided Pakistan through security issues post Kargil and post 9-11. He stated that his reasons for leaving office were not guided by a need to protect himself but by a need to protect the institution of the Presidency. He was respectful towards the government and wished them well, reminding them that they had a great responsibility to the nation. There was no mention of the judges, except a subtle parting swipe at the Chief Justice (‘a man who was willing o jeopradise the country’s economy for personal benefits’ or something like that). There was similarly no mention of Lal Masjid, the Talibans, Baluchisan or Kashmir. Most strange of all was his aviodance of the term “Enlightened Moderation,” (he chose to employ his new catch-phrase “Pakistan First” instead).

Musharraf came off as a man proud of his achievements, a patriot who was sincere with the country; this farewell speech will certainly help in remedying Musharraf’s lately tainted reputation. It is a shame though that he devoted so much of his speech to his achievements rather than his ideals. He is a man who truly cares about this country and wishes to see it prosper economically and socially. He believes in a socially progressive Pakistan and hopes for a tolerant and just society; that he failed to achieve these goals must haunt him.

Musharraf's departure has created a massive vaccuum and only time will tell us how effectively this is filled. In the mean time, we (by that I primarily mean GEO) must desist from rushing to deliver a judgment on Musharraf's rule. It's time for Musharraf reflect on his deeds and for us to reflect on his rule, then only can we do justice to what has been a long and complex time in power.