Spring Break
Pakistan has not improved under Musharraf's military rule
Aditi Dubey
Issue date: 10/12/07 Section: Ed-Op
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Year 1999: General Pervez Musharraf, commander-in-chief of Pakistan's military force, took over as President of Pakistan, following a coup d'état overthrowing the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. There were promises of law, order and, ironically, democracy. It was deemed unconstitutional and most of the global community condemned the coup.
As an Indian, I was curious. Kargil, an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place from May to July 1999, had left many soldiers dead, and our trust betrayed. I was looking forward to what this new self-appointed leader would do. It was interesting seeing how the Kargil conflict was planned and executed during Musharraf's term as the Pakistani Army Chief of Staff under Sharif, and was the reason that had triggered Sharif's decision to dismiss Musharraf. Like most Indians, I loathed him for his part in what we called "The Kargil War," but I was very curious to see if he'd leave Kashmir alone and want to be good neighbors, for once. Well, that didn't happen. During Musharraf's regime and before, there have always been tensions between the two countries. There has been dialogue but no resolution of any issues.
The state of affairs in Pakistan has not improved much under Musharraf's rule, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that quite a bit of the population is still not willing to accept him as a leader. It was reported that shortly after Musharraf's takeover, several people filed court petitions challenging his assumption of power. I don't know if it's that he doesn't know how to run a country, being a military leader, or if it's an inherent problem with Pakistan's political and social structure. The fact still remains that there have been more disputes and conflicts within Pakistan under Musharraf's rule than during any other time; the one exception being the period after 1947 when Pakistan had newly formed. Musharraf has repeatedly refused to step down as Chief of Army while still being President, and recently, has won a vote to be re-elected for another term in office. But the result will not be confirmed until the Supreme Court validates his right to stand while also still head of the army, BBC news reports.
As an Indian, I was curious. Kargil, an armed conflict between India and Pakistan that took place from May to July 1999, had left many soldiers dead, and our trust betrayed. I was looking forward to what this new self-appointed leader would do. It was interesting seeing how the Kargil conflict was planned and executed during Musharraf's term as the Pakistani Army Chief of Staff under Sharif, and was the reason that had triggered Sharif's decision to dismiss Musharraf. Like most Indians, I loathed him for his part in what we called "The Kargil War," but I was very curious to see if he'd leave Kashmir alone and want to be good neighbors, for once. Well, that didn't happen. During Musharraf's regime and before, there have always been tensions between the two countries. There has been dialogue but no resolution of any issues.
The state of affairs in Pakistan has not improved much under Musharraf's rule, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that quite a bit of the population is still not willing to accept him as a leader. It was reported that shortly after Musharraf's takeover, several people filed court petitions challenging his assumption of power. I don't know if it's that he doesn't know how to run a country, being a military leader, or if it's an inherent problem with Pakistan's political and social structure. The fact still remains that there have been more disputes and conflicts within Pakistan under Musharraf's rule than during any other time; the one exception being the period after 1947 when Pakistan had newly formed. Musharraf has repeatedly refused to step down as Chief of Army while still being President, and recently, has won a vote to be re-elected for another term in office. But the result will not be confirmed until the Supreme Court validates his right to stand while also still head of the army, BBC news reports.
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