It is entirely clear that former President Pervez Musharraf knew that he was putting his head into the lion’s mouth when he returned to Pakistan, intent on standing in the upcoming elections.
His 10 years as president from 1999 made him many enemies. He quit the post when he was faced with impeachment and went into self-imposed exile. The decision to return after four years to contest the election was courageous and in the view of some foolhardy. Besides not many political pundits give the former four-star general much of a chance in next month’s vote. His All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) party has not so far attracted the mass support that would clearly propel him into government.
The difficulties Musharraf faces are considerable. For a start he is having trouble finding a seat for which he can stand. This week his candidacy for a fourth constituency, this one in Chitral was rejected, though his lawyers are seeking to appeal the decision.
However, perhaps the greatest challenge he faces is the investigation into allegations that he was complicit in the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, after she, in her turn, had returned from exile to re-enter Pakistani politics in 2007. He is also implicated in the killing of a tribal leader, Akbar Bugti from Balochistan. The courts have banned him from leaving the country.
Yesterday a court in Islamabad ordered Musharraf’s arrest, in part on the grounds that in 2007 he had attempted to place the country’s judges under house arrest. However, the proceedings degenerated into a farce when the former president left the court surrounded by his security team and no attempt was made to stop him.
There is however a serious point here. Musharraf, who came to the presidency in a military coup, is now seeking office through democratic means, in what looks like being the first peaceful change of civilian power in Pakistan’s history. He is submitting himself to the voters. This in itself is important and is a decision that deserves some respect, because he is saying in effect that the military should no longer be involved in politics. It is the ballot box, not the gun that should be the dominant force in the country.
Yet at the same time, Musharraf is accused of being involved in two murders and faces other lesser charges, including those relating to his treatment of the judiciary. The issue is whether he should be permitted to enter the democratic process or be arrested and prosecuted immediately. The key point is the degree to which the accusations that have been made against him are politically motivated. If the charges are driven by revenge, especially on behalf of the judges, then they are a dangerous interference in the political process. Musharraf should not be excluded from politics on this basis. It is for the voters to decide if he has a part to play in Pakistan’s future and nobody else.
If his political rivals, not least in the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) who are pressing the claim that he was responsible for their former leader’s murder, are trying to force him out of the political stage to protect their own interests, then this is not acceptable.
Politics is a ruthless business at the best of times and perhaps nevermore so than in Pakistan. But the country is just about to see an elected government reach its full term and new elections be held for a replacement. In a country that is bedeviled by so many challenges, this is an achievement that should in no way be underestimated.
What the political establishment needs to understand, not least those who loathe Musharraf, is that if they managed to force him out of the elections, they will be making a rod for their own backs. Musharraf and his APML will be able to cry foul and protest the result of the national vote. This will, in turn, will undermine the political legitimacy of whoever wins. More importantly it will damage the whole democratic process, at one of its all too rare moments of triumph.
The sensible option is surely to let Musharraf find a seat for himself and permit him and his APLM to fight the elections without impediments. If the pundits are right, he is not going to win anyway. A decisive rejection by the electorate will leave no room to protest that he was robbed of the chance of power. If however he wins, then there will be the tricky issue of how the cases against him can proceed. But that is a bridge that can be crossed, if Musharraf comes to it.
Editorial: Let Musharraf stand in Pakistan elections
