Former Pakistani President’s indictment historic
For the first time ever in the history of Pakistan, a civil court on March 31 indicted a former President and Army chief for high treason. With this verdict, General Pervez Musharraf appears to have lost the legal battle to a large extent, and the only way out for him is to seek a safe haven outside the country and retire there for good — or at least until he believes the time is ripe for him to return. But that may not happen immediately because Gen Musharraf's lawyers will continue to explore all the yet untried legal avenues to seek relief for the former President. Meanwhile, there is speculation that countries such as Saudi Arabia are being considered by Gen Musharraf's confidants as one of the places he could retire at, in case they are able to strike a deal with the Nawaz Sharif Government in Islamabad. For now, however, it is important to acknowledge the important development of a civil court of Pakistan indicting a former Army General. The verdict not just places the judiciary in that country on a more credible footing but also offers the civilian regime and the administration to push ahead with measures that will slowly but surely enhance the powers of the democratically elected Government and reduce the interferences of the military in decision-making in domestic and international affairs of the country. The Nawaz Sharif regime must seize the opportunity to recast its approach towards the Army and make it understand that while there can be coordination between the two — as exists in genuinely democratic systems elsewhere in the world — the uniformed men cannot run or influence the Government. And, most certainly, they cannot operate a parallel administration, like they have done in the past many occasions. Mr Sharif showed the spine to go ahead with pressing the grave charges against a former General, and he deserves praise for that.
Gen Musharraf cannot complain about being unfairly treated by the judiciary. The civil court had given him enough opportunities to place his views on the charges that he faced. His defence team had done its best to derail the process by indulging in delaying tactics on many occasions, and at times behaving in the most absurd fashion during the trial. It may be recalled that one such occasion, the Bench hearing the case actually rose in protest and walked out for a moment. The court was lenient enough to allow Gen Musharraf to present his argument for permission to travel abroad on medical grounds, although the charges he faced were too serious to warrant concessions like foreign travels. Gen Musharraf had not just made a mockery of the Constitution but had also twisted it to suit his and the Army's purposes. The former President's indictment on high treason demonstrates that the rule of democracy can triumph even in a hostile environment if a democratically elected regime has the courage to take the bull by the horns.