General has finally stepped down, a step he should have taken on 19th February 2008, when his supporters/loyalist were badly defeated by democratic forces. This is history now. But my subject and audience are those individuals who are pouring in sympathy over Musharraf departure. They think that he was the hope of the public and progressive person and everybody else, whom people elect and vote for are bandits and thieves. I must say he was hope of none, rather he was a hopeless case in himself. This instinctive sympathy is called Stockholm syndrome whereby kidnapped people start liking their captives, the hijacked plane passengers start liking their hijackers, given the association prolongs from few hours to few days. And with this general, unfortunate Pakistani public and world has spent nine years. This process qualifies for Stockholm Syndrome.
His frank discussions and straight talking was appreciated and people found straight forwardness in his person but what not observed was what he said. A bunch of lies, arrogant attitude, contempt for the constitution and disdain for the popular politicians.
I see a pinch of remorse for many people who feel that the departure of a dictator is bad for a country. He was a dictator who toppled a democratically elected government and at the same time lucky that he was accorded guard-of-honor at his departure and was not sent to jail cell, a treatment democratically elected prime ministers of Pakistan always faced on the eve of notorious military coups. One of them, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged and other, Nawaz Sahrif was sent to dungeons of Attock fort before he was sent on exile.
Guys, support democracy in Pakistan and don’t shed tears on the departure of a usurper. Most of the comments I read on the other blog/sites are coming from North America. I would just ask them to simply imagine for a moment that Pentagon or Canadian Armed forces chief, takes control of US and Canada. Their civil liberties are quashed. TV stations are locked and intelligentsia of the country is sent to jail for protesting over this, without trial? How do you feel ? This terrible episode is repeated in Pakistan almost every 10 years by military generals.
World must work with democratic government in Pakistan because they have roots in the public. They are the best people to reach out general public and convince them even over the ‘un-popular’ policy decisions. People would understand this because the person talking to them would be their own and not somebody trained in alien military academies or bred in military cantonments. I have nothing against Army, but running government affairs is not their job, simple.
