Who Will Bell the Cat?

Abdur Raziq August 29, 2009

Lively debate regarding fate of ex military dictators of Pakistan was aired on Voice of America Urdu service at Thursday evening. PML (Q) spokesman Mr. Sidiq ul Farooq was initially of the view that only General Parvez Musharaf shall be held accountable, under article six of Pakistan constitution which provides for capital punishment to the one whom is found guilty of abrogating constitution. Retired Chief of the Army Staff Mr. Mirza Aslam Beg, Aisha, and Mr. Mashhadi were also participants in debate. Eventually all of them have agreed to bring all the military dictators of Pakistan whether dead or alive to the court of justice so that no one else shall dare to impose martial law again in Pakistan.

First Martial law was imposed in Pakistan by Mr. Sikander Mirza, then came field Martial Ayube Khan, General Yahya Khan, Mr. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto have also acted as chief martial law administrator for a brief period of time, then General Zia became a military dictator of Pakistan and last one was General Parvez Musharaf. All other ex dictators excluding Mr. Parvez Musharaf are dead now. Interestingly uproar in national press regarding trial of Parvez Musharaf has become loud at the time, when he is gone abroad and international print media reports reflect that he is preparing himself to make a come back in politics.

Soon after the death of Baitullah Mehsood well known terrorist Taliban leader involved in numerous suicide bomb attacks including assassination of Muhtarima Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, a tribesman has told me, ‘Parvez Musharaf was better then Asif Ali Zardari,’. Obviously Musharaf had concluded peace agreements with Taliban militants of Swat and Waziristan, according to international media reports once had paid 35000$ to Baitullah Mehhsood for reasons best known to him. Uncompromising Asif Ali Zardari has used valiant men and officers of Pakistan armed forces to eradicate terrorism from Swat and rest of the tribal areas of Pakistan, now top leadership of TTP is either dead or injured, militants of Malakand division have also met the same fate. For militants Parvez Musharaf’s defacto regime was a blessing as compare to dejure regime of President Asif Ali Zardari.

Parvez Musharaf has one sure vote of the tribesman driving public transport van on Kohat Pindi road, his come back in politics as far as my own assessment is concern is highly unlikely to have any applause in settled areas of Pakistan. But his trial in court of law will be another impossible task because; as rightly pointed out by Mr. Mashhadi, the second clause of article 6 of Pakistan constitutions which also provide for punishment of those whom have aided and abetted the military dictator to abrogate the constitution of Pakistan. From present Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr. Iftikhar Chaudary whom had validated his regime and under PCO have taken oath as chief justice of Pakistan, to good number of Army Generals whom had abetted and aided him to consolidate his regime will also have to face the trial including General Parvez Musharaf.

General Zia regime was aided and abetted by Mr. Nawaz Sharif himself that is why his party spokesman Mr. Sidiq ul Farooq was insisting upon trial of only General Parvez Musharaf, the trial if started from 1958 on wards will almost include every politician in Pakistan on charges of aiding and abetting military dictators, countless army generals, including chief justices and bureaucrats will also be included in the trial on charges of aiding and abetting the dictators guilty of abrogating the constitution. The big question is who will conduct the trial? Because current judiciary top brass was also involved in aiding and abetting of General Parvez Musharaf’s unconstitutional acts.

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Abdur Raziq

This article of mine has been also published at http://raziq1.blogspot.com and at allvoices.com