Friday 31 July 2009

A dogs tail! Musharraf defies courts to go on a cruise

Can't help a chuckle! There is an old saying in Pakistan that a dogs tail can never be straightened - i.e. bad behaviour blamed on your genetic make up cannot change.

What reminded me of this saying was the piece of news this morning that in response to invitation [read: polite summons] to appear before the Supreme Court of Pakistan, to argue his side of the story on why he imposed Martial Law in Pakistan on 3 November 2007 and sacked and incarcerated the independent judiciary, he has decided to go on a Mediterranean and Caribbean cruise [paid for by whom!]. Message is loud and clear - the ex general might be out of power in Pakistan, out of favour with the US, but has not lost the stiffness in his neck.

I wrote earlier that it should be the people of Pakistan who through a due judicial process bring the tyrant to the dock. It is interesting to note that Musharraf himself still suffers from delusion of grandeur, a self belief that he still is the Messiah for Pakistan and that a vast majority of Pakistanis (read: pseudo intellectuals) still love him. There are columnists in Pakistan who since the invitation (it really was an invitation) from the Supreme Court, and increasing demands from legal fraternity to bring him to the dock, have started shouting victimisation. One such opinion really goes towards insulting the collective intelligence of the nation suggesting that if Musharraf is brought to court he will suddenly become a martyr and a popular shepherd for Pakistani lambs.

There are those in Pakistan who have a stake in Musharraf staying on a world cruise and safe from the long arms of the law. Those who benefited from the National Reconciliation Ordinance (read: blanket amnesty and permission for large scale corruption) do not want Musharraf in the dock and his actions post 3 November reversed. And there are those who don't want to close the door for future hopefuls for the vacant post of a benevolent dictator.

I had listed what I believe to be the charge sheet against Musharraf. For the future of democracy in Pakistan Musharraf and his cronies need to be brought to justice even if it means opening up a Pandora's box of constitutional anomalies. It should, however, be through a due judicial process without a hint of victimisation - a tough call, I think not.

2 comments:

  1. Hello,
    This is Ghazala Khan from The Pakistani Spectator. We are carrying a series of interviews with the Pakistani bloggers and would like to carry out an interview with you please.

    Please send me your approval at ghazala.khi at gmail.com.

    Thanks and regards

    Ghazala Khan
    www.pakspectator.com

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