April 30th 2002 was a very memorable date in my life. One mainly, it was a first time I got a chance to legally vote and at the same time. It was the same fateful day that my mother passed away. I still recall the day that when I rushed out of my business school (IBA) and headed towards home thanks to one of my friends. As I reached home . I got a drop at the nearest polling station near my house and went in to vote for President Musharraf (for referendum at the time) and then headed home. Only to find my mother dying in my arms just minutes later as she suffered from Cancer for many years. Sometimes if I think that had I headed home instead could have spent a few more minutes at the side of my dying mother. But then feel at the same time that voting for Gen Musharraf at the time was for more crucial for the nation.
I remember that I studied in Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology. No day passed by when you didn’t hear of extrajudicial killings in Karachi. Living in Karachi was worse than what it is now. The only difference is that the perpetrators being agencies. The country though became a Nuclear Power but was on the verge of Bankruptcy. If I may recall clearly only a Billion $ or above was left in our reserves. Then came October 12th 1999 when we heard that there is a coup in the country for whatever reasons and Nawaz Sharif has been thrown out. I still remember that at least Karachi took a sigh of relief and we were distributing sweets from our pocket money to the passer by’s . Gen Musharraf took over and infact got us rid of a political dictator who wished to become infact an ameer-ul-momineen. I still remember my convocation where I got a chance to shake the General’s hands. All so nostalgiac . The rest is history.
It would be unfair to mention that whilst our nation could have been bombed to stone ages whilst some of our ex army generals mention that General Musharraf surrendered to US will and forget that just a few years ago; we also surrendered to the same will at Kargil. I remember that when we graduated . Each of us had many job offers in hand whilst now it’s a rarity. I remember the golden times of Karachi where under Nazim system; the city grew by leaps and bounds which it never did in many decades. Where no one before even bothered to worry about the city. I remember investors lining up to invest in Pakistan. I remember where reverse migration began and I remember that the average citizen of Pakistan sleeping a full stomach. Then the Lal Masjid happened which I feel happened rightfully as terrorists were challenging the will of Pakistan and that too in the capital of our country. Then the judiciary movement happened which I remember that it started due to the differences on the son of the Chief Justice which anyways got unearthed recently. God knows if it was true or false but for Pakistanis it still awaits closure as we would like to know how to earn 90 PKR Million in a botched up economy of Pakistan over 3 years or less.
Anyways for the last few days . Its clear that General Musharraf is paying for deciding to return to Pakistan. Maybe one of the wrong decisions as may be he forgot the color of his skin or his genes. A clear mistake and is paying for it by being humiliated at the hands of our judicial system for doing what he felt at the time of Presidency as the right thing to do.
I wonder why these double standards. Did any one persecuted Ayub Khan for first his martial law and than his acts of cowardice against Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah and not to ignore the distrust he started in East Bengal? Did any one called Gen Niazi a coward for surrendering with 90000 troops to India? Did any one called Zulfiqar Bhutto a traitor for chanting “Idhar hum udhar tum” and being timid on being the PM though Awami league had majority? Did any one called Zia a traitor or infact a tyrant for inducing this country into fundamentalism ; infact hanging Bhutto wrongfully? Did anyone called Benazir a traitor for writing to US senators for stopping Pakistan’s aid after losing her government and leaking the list of Khalsa movement to Rajieev Gandhi whilst in power? Did any one called Ghulam Ishaq Khan a traitor for conniving along with Hameed Gul & Co to bring down democratic governments not once but twice? Did any one called Nawaz Sharif a tyrant for ordering extra judicial killings in Punjab and especially in Karachi in his tenure whilst he shed crocodile tears for Bugti and Baluchistan? Did any one called CJ Iftikhar Chaudhary a traitor for justifying the PCO after Oct 12th 1999 in fact took oath from the same General Musharaf ; despite though respected Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid refused the same and missed his chance for the same slot? Did any one called General Kiyani/General Pasha an incompetent General under whose vigilance Salala, Mehran Base, GHQ, OBL incident, Kamra attack etc etc happened and till now our soldiers blood is being shed? The list goes on my dear Pakistanis . The list goes on . But unfortunate to see that General Musharaf who gave this nation this free media is being persecuted unilaterally without any remorse forgetting the good he did to this nation.
Someday when history would be written many decades later for Pakistan hopefully. These incidents of the last few days would haunt us . As remember this is only the beginning as I would also have a right to hold by collar any out going President/Ruler/Office Holder of the country. Also at the same time why only Musharraf when all sided with him. Why not before him ? Why not those in power now as even now there are no rivers of milk and honey flowing in our nation? Every day people are dying at the hands of terrorists without respite ? Why no persecution of these terrorists; infact they are being glorified . Why no speedy justice for Salman Taseer? Why no speedy justice to the killers of our Shia brothers? Why no speedy justice on Arsalan Iftikhar for his ill gotten wealth?
Again Pakistan is becoming a tryst of a few. Where faces might change but not the will as the same garbage would come into power again and again and again. And if someone try to correct the status quo; he is being made an example. Today ANP,PPP and PMLN Senators stood together against General Musharraf in a press conference . Wonder if these two faced politicians could do the same on the national issues. Wonder why the law of the country which is meant to give relief to average Pakistani is being used as a tool to supplement the tyrants.
Remember today’s actions are setting course for a future. Its not going to end here but would begin. Because if the judiciary can ask for an eye for eye . So it would be my right to ask for the same as we are all equal when it comes to being Pakistanis. Pakistan Zindabad!