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Remembering Pervez Musharraf (1943-2023): A True Patriot Who Made Pakistan Stronger

I think something about Pervez Musharraf had to be said in this forum and said by many; he was a part of Pakistan's evolution of as a State. As far his accomplishments, many have said here. People like journalists Ayaz Amir have called him the 'best' of all the four military rulers of Pakistan. And here is what Irshad Bhatti had to say:


Some biggest concerns:
1) Launching the Kargil War. It was futile and destroyed a budding chance of peace with India. I know India was the aggressor (1971 and then 1984 in Siachen), but there was no point in the Kargil War. Hundreds died.
2) The death of Akbar Bugti. Whatever you might think about Bugti, he was a spent force. An old man dying in caves. His death was probably an accident--a cave fell on him or something like that--but I think he shouldn't have been hunted down like that and Musharraf shouldn't have called Bugti death as 'good'. Bugti became a symbol of Baluch nationalists since his death.
3) Musharraf's attempt to clinging on to power beyond 2007. It was an act of laughable naivete! By late 2007, due to Lal Masjid, Lawyers Movement, Rising Acts of Terrorism, and Benazir Bhutto's death, Musharraf had become a 'bunker president'. There were multiple violent attacks on him where innocent bystanders died and Musharraf had to be confined to his shelters a lot. His time was up! The whole political class--including Imran Khan--had ganged up on him, piggybacking on the Lawyers Movement, to topple him.
4) The NRO?? So who should he have given power to after 2007? Military?? Nope, military absolutely wouldn't want that--you know, Yahya made the mistake in 1969. So then who?? A govt of 'technocrats'? Who would they be?? Due you guys think the well-oiled machines of Benazir and Nawaz Sharif--who incidentally had VERY LARGE electoral powers then--would let anyone survive. Musharraf HAD to give an NRO and he gave to Benazir who was not as hateful of him as Nawaz was. Naive people here don't know that power is given to cunning, strong powerful political parties by dying regimes!!! And this was at least the 3rd time the military gave power to PPP!!!
 
Celebrated theater, film and television performer died today. He was handpicked by President Pervez Musharraf to establish and run government-funded National Academy of Performing Arts in Karachi in 2005.


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Zia Mohyeddin, legendary Pakistani artist and orator, dies at 91
The celebrated performer died in a hospital in Karachi where he was on life support.


Popular Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, a NAPA graduate who was associated with Mohyeddin for more than a decade, told Al Jazeera the thespian’s death felt like he has lost his own father.

“I don’t have enough words to express my word and sorrow at his passing. He helped me at every stage. His life was all about theatre, the all-encompassing passion he had for it. It kept him alive,” Khan said.

The actor said Mohyeddin was famous for his wit and one-liners, yet the seriousness he brought while working at NAPA will be his lasting legacy.

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Former president Pervez Musharraf and his wife Sehba Musharraf were also resent at the dinner. It may be recalled that it was the former president who had taken the initiative to found NAPA and to provide funds for its sustenance during the initial years.Pervez Musharraf congratulated all those who had made NAPA a success and emphasised the immense need to eliminate the cultural vacuum that existed in society.
He related how, in order to further his concept of 'enlightened moderation,' he had thought of founding a national institution for the promotion of art and culture and had persuaded the thespian Zia Mohyeddin to head the Academy. He was happy that he had extended his patronage to NAPA, because in just a decade, it had come to ably fulfil the civil society's long-standing demand for a proper centre dedicated to the promotion of art and culture in Karachi. He was pleased that NAPA had managed to add great richness to the city's cultural activities.
 

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