Musharraf, The Only Hope for Pakistan

[Fasih Khan]

Dear All,

Assalam O Allaikum

As we all know that Pakistan after Pervaiz Musharraf has gone down in almost every field one can imagine. Last two and a half years of our fake democrats has been an absolute disaster for Pakistan. Many of us on these forums have called it 9/11 of Pakistan, the election results of 18th Feb 2008. We knew the credibility of our corrupted politicians. We cried hard for our nation but many did not understand it, today you see countless saying in despair that Musharraf's era was better than these unfortunate moments for Pakistan. The Nation is facing challenge after challenge but we do not have a single True Leader ruling us. All the Corrupts, Crooks and Selfish Individuals are heading their parties, therefore heading the provincial governments and that of the central, looting this country ruthlessly. They come on the media channels attacking each other in most disgraceful manner exposing their inner's 'Undemocratic attitudes'. Behind the scenes they are all the partners in crime.

In this darkest scenario Musharraf has given millions of Pakistanis the hope by saying that he may come back and rule the country again. This news is a life line for the entire Patriot, Sane and Educated class Pakistanis and the same time it’s a death call to all the Selfish, Corrupts and Crooks in this country. Therefore we are hearing all these noises against Musharraf when we talk about his possible comeback.

I'm opening this thread for us to remember his golden era, support him in future and make it a thread of Hope for all the Patriot, Sane and Educated class of Pakistanis.

Having said that, He Ofcorse was a human being and made numerous mistakes as well, NRO being the biggest one. We'd like to discuss them as well but I'll ask all the Musharraf Phobics to not to ruin this thread by their hateful propagandas. Come and discuss your concerns regarding him in a humble manner, and you should be answered accordingly.

I'd Thank you all for a healthy discussion.


Pakistan Paindabaad

 

[Fasih Khan]

Musharraf better than many politicians

Column from Dallas
Saeed Qureshi

One quality that distinguishes Pakistan’s former president Pervez Musharraf over other luminaries in politics is that while others usually take cover under the lame excuses and try to justify their misdeeds, he has the candidness to confess and acknowledge his wrong decisions. For instance, he has said many a time that his decision to first suspend and then sack the chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry was essentially erratic. Also, he confessed publically too that the impostion of the state of emergency way back in November 2007 was not only unconstitutional but also politically incorrect. It should be noted that it was a 12-member Supreme Court panel that on May 12, 2000 unanimously validated the October 1999 coup and granted Musharraf executive and legislative authority for 3 years from the coup date.

Again, in January 2004 Musharraf won a vote of confidence in the Electoral College of Pakistan, consisting of both houses of Parliament and the four provincial assemblies by receiving 658 out of 1170 votes. As such his governance and remaining in office was legally and constitutionally justified. Pervez Musharraf is coming to Dallas on October 15 to launch the local chapter of his political party, “All Pakistan Muslim League”. Here in Dallas he will meet various important people besides the media. He will also address a select gathering of his well-wishers, and party members. The announcement contained in a flyer says “Dinner with former President Pervez Musharraf at 6:30 PM on October 15, 2010 Hotel Intercontinental addison, tex.” An additional line further elaborates the purpose of Musharraf’s visit to Dallas, which is “Dinner, speech, and Question & Answer session.”

Barring a few controversial decisions, Pervez Musharraf has been successful in bringing about certain far-reaching reforms in Pakistan. Notwithstanding the urge to remain in power which human beings have in abundance because they are not angels, Musharraf’s era was relatively known as economically strong. His role in liberating media from the official strangleholds and empowering the women folks cannot be denied even by worst of his detractors.

Now as part of rooting out extremism and curbing separatist and fissiparous tendencies of regional leader like Akbar Bugti, he had to take certain unpalatable and tough decisions. In normal circumstances these decisions could have been appreciated but their positive side was eclipsed because of the extremely hostile propaganda whipped by his antagonist political parties and domineering clergy and fire-spitting religious circles. Musharraf received the displeasure of the religious lobbies because of his 180-degree tilt and support for the American war in Afghanistan. Otherwise, these are the same religious elements that were part of the group that voted for him to keep both the offices of the COAS and the president of Pakistan.

If Pervez Musharraf were to make a plausible case for his return to Pakistan and take part in politics under the banner of his newly founded political party, “All Pakistan Muslim League”, his following achievements would stand in good stead for him. (1) He established 47 universities including the Virtual University, under the supervision of Higher Education Commission. (2) During his presidency, the poverty level came down from 34% to 24% while the living standards of the people improved considerably. (3) In early 2007, Mushrraf according to a survey was more popular than Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. (4) It was during his time that “Women’s Protection Bill”, was made a law in December 2006. The bill placed the **** laws under the penal code and removed the untenable condition of producing four male witnesses by the female victim to prove adultery. (5) His government increased reserved seats for women in both national and provincial assemblies. In the National Assembly, these were increased from 20 to 60. In provincial assemblies, 128 seats were reserved for women. This situation gave greater effective participation of women in elections and decision-making. (6) He abolished the separate electorate for the religious minorities and put curbs on extremist and sectarian groups. (7) According to Transparency International, Pakistan had improved its ratings during Musharraf’s presidency, from being the 11th most corrupt country down to 41st, a significant image improvement.

In the backdrop of a hostile atmosphere in certain circles against him, former president will have to contend with formidable challenges both to his life and political career. It should also be seen how much public support he receives and which political parties would be ready to forge alliances with his party. He will have to go through an adjudication process, which can be prolonged. It is not possible to foretell if the courts would give him a temporary reprieve to indulge in practical politics or not. The prime minister of Pakistan Yousaf Raza Gilani sarcastically remarked the other day that Musharraf would be welcomed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. This is a very ominous statement. The Law minister known for his caustic sarcasm and pungent repartee said that those who want dictatorship were either in graveyard or in England alluding to former president Zia and president Musharraf, both army generals by profession. But politics being a game of wits, scoring points, making alliances and shifting positions, no one can conclusively figure out whether Musharraf would be stuck in the roadblocks or move forward towards his political goalpost.

—The writer is a Dallas-based freelance journalist.

Musharraf better than many politicians

 

[Fasih Khan]

I Request all again. Please be Objective. Thanks.

 

[Awesome]

I would agree with "Musharraf better than the current politicians" argument more than "Musharraf the only hope for Pakistan".

Personally I want an honest, hardworking and a true Pakistani at the helm and I strongly hope the rest of the nation realizes that, thats Imran Khan and gives him a shot.

Musharraf, I'd compromise with, given the alternatives in Pakistan.

 

[Fasih Khan]

Fair enough Asim. Imran is another new face people should be considering, Agreed.

 

[Awesome]

To vote for Musharraf, I have to compromise on a few of the things I strongly believe in:

1) I don't want Pakistan to turn into an American colony

2) I want to see corrupt leaders out, Musharraf himself has not siphoned money from the Pakistani treasury, however he remains in the company of such people to maintain his power. Not to mention, the whole NRO khap. That is his style.

3) I really feel for Aafia Siddiqui. She was wrongfully pronounced guilty and her sentencing is totally ridiculous. A lot of muggers who seriously injure Americans get less than that in America. Obviously something's fishy there - Musharraf had a hand in her arrest and hence he is guilty by association.

Good things. Favoring secularism, promoting investment, engaging in big mega projects, securing good relations with other countries and promoting freedom of expression in Pakistan (I'm ignoring his episode of banning the media).

 

[Musalman]

Give me one good thing Musharaff did ????
In my sector he plundered 20 billion rupees for project which were not required. Fasih Khan i think u r the same Fasih Khan who also posted praise about Bushraf on Iran Def when he was killing kids in Lal masjid. I know Zaradari and Nawaz are incompetent but that does not mean Bushraff is good.

 

[Kompromat]

Musharraf has had his run and we have seen what we have been through.

There are more able folks around , we just need to make our electoral system more transparent.

Musharraf surely is not the answer in my mind.

 

[Musalman]

Musharraf has had his run and we have seen what we have been through.

There are more able folks around , we just need to make our electoral system more transparent.

Musharraf surely is not the answer in my mind.

Zindabad !!!!!!!!!!

 

[Fasih Khan]

Pervez Musharraf to return from exile in Britain as 'Saviour' of Pakistan


Pakistan's former military leader, Pervez Musharraf, tells Colin Freeman why his country needs him again - and why British troops must stay the course in Afghanistan



Pervez Musharraf has no shortage of ideas on how to fight extremists and pacify both his homeland and neighbouring Afghanistan Photo: GEOFF PUGH

For the last two years he has earned a lucrative living on the global lecture circuit, enlightening select audiences on what it was like to have a ringside seat in the war on terror.

As the military ruler of Pakistan in the turbulent period after 9/11, former president Pervez Musharraf has no shortage of ideas on how to fight extremists and pacify both his homeland and neighbouring Afghanistan.

Now the former general is about put his theories to the test - quitting his comfortable retirement pad in London, where he has lived since stepping down in 2008, and returning to Pakistan to launch his own political party. The All Pakistan Muslim League will have its opening manifesto launch in London on Friday, aiming for nothing less than to "change the political culture" of his home nation, where last month's devastating floods have added to already crippling problems with terrorism and weak government.

Indeed, given the scale of the challenges he now plans to grapple with, it is perhaps no surprise to learn that the public speaking firm to which Mr Musharraf is signed with, the elite Harry Walker agency, also has anti-poverty campaigner Bono, climate change guru Al Gore and several other stars of the "how-to-save-the-world" school of motivational speaking on its books.

"I am very comfortable travelling around the world on lectures, but I am going into politics for the greater cause of Pakistan," Mr Musharraf told The Sunday Telegraph in an interview last week.

"The people have reached the end of their hopes, and I want to try to rekindle their faith in both themselves and Pakistan itself. It would be better to try and fail rather than not to try at all."

The former special forces soldier was also vocal on the military challenges in neighbouring Afghanistan, saying that the escalating bodycount of British, US and other Nato soldiers should be no excuse for an early pull-out. US-led plans to start drawing down troops by the middle of next year would, he warned, lead to the region becoming a "nexus for terrorists" all over the Muslim world.

"I am not trying to portray a domesday scenario unnecessarily, but the implications would be very serious for Afghanistan, Pakistan and the rest of world," he said. "It would encourage and strengthen the Taliban and al-Qaeda, giving them a country to fall back on. Quitting cannot be time related, it has to be effect related."

In a blunt comment on what he called "bring the boys home" sentiment in Britain, he added that soldiers should not sign up for military service if they did not expect to face combat.

"I don't understand why there is this issue when an army suffers casualties. Of course you try to keep them to a minimum, and I offer my deep condolences to the family of any soldier is killed, but I would also ask their parents: 'Why was it that they joined the army? All voluntary armies face occasions where they have to maybe fight for their country and sacrifice their lives."

Mr Musharraf, 67, was speaking at his flat off London's Edgware Road, where he lives in a smart three-bedroom apartment in London's Arab district. Handy for the smart restaurants of nearby Mayfair, where he and his wife are regular faces, it is also close to reminders of the turbulence in his homeland.

Nearby Edgware Road tube station was among those hit by the July 7 bombers, carried by British-born Pakistani radicals, while last week, a few miles away in Edgware itself, Imran Farooq, the exiled leader of Pakistan's MQM party, was murdered in what may have been a turf war linked to events in Karachi.

Mr Musharraf, who receives occasional Scotland Yard protection himself, declined to speculate on the motive for the killing, but said: "It is terrible that such an assassination could happen in a place like London."

His self-rebranding as his homeland's civilian saviour is in marked contrast to how his political career began in 1999, when he became the latest in a long line of Pakistani military leaders to seize power from a civilian government seen as incompetent and corrupt.

As the title of his recent biography In the Line of Fire suggests, he then came under huge US pressure to clamp down on the Taliban and al-Qaeda in the wake of 9-11, much to the fury of religious hardliners in his own country. His star faded further as he clung to power for a further seven years, culminating in calls from political rivals for him to face criminal charges when he finally stepped down.

Since then, though, his reputation has recovered somewhat, not least because the civilian administration of President Ali Asif Zardari, who was elected in late 2008, is seen to have done little better. Widespread public anger at his government's lacklustre response to the floods, which have left 12 million in need of emergency food aid, could well prove a filip to Mr Musharraf's new party.

While he declined to comment on Mr Zardari's performance, Mr Musharraf said: "There is a hell of a lot of disappointment among the people over the way the flood relief was tackled."

He added: "What is required is unity of thought and action between three elements; the political forces, the army and the bureaucracy. They need an individual who can get them to think and act alike."

Whether Mr Musharraf will find politics as easy in civilian clothes remains to be seen though. His fledgling party may struggle against the more established political groupings like Mr Zardari's Pakistan Peoples Party, which has enjoyed a mass following for several decades. He is, however, looking forward to one advantage that he lacked during his previous stints in power - legitimacy.

"Personally I never saw myself as a dictator, even though people called me that, but now when I come back I will be a politician on normal terms. I am also a born optimist, which helps. We have everything going in Pakistan - the failure is only of leadership, not the people."

Pervez Musharraf to return from exile in Britain as 'Saviour' of Pakistan - Telegraph

 

[Fasih Khan]

'Musalman' None what he's done Good. Best answer for you, Correct Sir.

 

[Fasih Khan]

'Musalman' Please Ignore the Below Post. Probably All Lies.

Musharraf Era performance: Pakistan Flourishes Musharraf Supporters

 

[Fasih Khan]

Double Post

 

[khuramonline]

You ppl need to choose your hope from the possibilities. I am fan of Musharraf but he is not possible in current scenareo.

 

[Awesome]

'Musalman' None what he's done Good. Best answer for you, Correct Sir.

The jazbaat run very high when you talk about Musharraf. Since he made some tough calls, is considered responsible for the missing persons case - of course not proven and probably exaggerated, but a nervy issue for most Pakistanis who have lost loved ones.

I personally side with him on his actions against Bugti and the ones did at Lal Masjid.

Both sides, Musharraf's supporters and those who oppose him, must stop thinking in absolute terms, he is not "Musa, nor the Pharoah". I see him as such - a human being who set out to do some good, but screwed up along the way. Does he deserve another chance? Compared to Nawaz, Zardari, Altaf, Choudhary, etc? Yes he does. Over Imran Khan? No.