Is Musharraf Under House Arrest?
November 5th, 2007
By SWARAAJ CHAUHAN, International Columnist
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If you silence the media the rumours do the round. Pakistan’s government on Monday denied rumours sweeping the country that the deputy army chief had placed military ruler President Pervez Musharraf under house arrest, reports Forbes magazine.
“Musharraf had tipped vice chief of army staff Ashfaq Kiyani to take over his military role after pledging to hang up his uniform before being sworn in for a second term.”
Meanwhile the United States said Monday it had suspended defence talks with anti-terror ally Pakistan and Defence Secretary Robert Gates demanded the country return swiftly to democracy after emergency rule. More here…
Asia Times offers another perspective: “What emerges beyond doubt is that Musharraf’s move enjoys the support of the top brass of the Pakistan armed forces. Significantly, he signed the proclamation on emergency rule in his capacity as the chief of army staff rather than as the president. He has thereby signaled that the Pakistan armed forces as a whole are backing his move.
“It is on occasions such as this that the incomprehensible alchemy of the US-Pakistan relationship fleetingly surfaces. Clearly, it stands to reason that Musharraf took care to consult Washington and Britain before announcing his move. But what was the nature of these consultations?
“This wouldn’t be the first time that the generals in Rawalpindi have done their homework as regards their corporate interests and proceeded to set aside Washington’s unsolicited counsel. Time and again in Pakistan’s history it has appeared that the unequal relationship between the US and Pakistan is far from a one-dimensional tie-up. It would be a mistake to regard Pakistan as a mindless American proxy - which is part of the reason why China and Russia have an abiding interest in that country.
“A decade earlier, another Pakistani military strongman, General Zia ul-Haq, simply refused to toe the US line to agree to an Afghan settlement that Washington had worked out with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, which would have restored Kabul’s traditional neutrality in the geopolitics of the region. Zia insisted Pakistan’s influence on a future regime in Kabul ought to be predominant.
“Thus, in retrospect, it turns out that the former prime minister Bhutto’s abrupt departure for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates last Thursday against the advice rendered by most of her party leaders happened just in time when it dawned on the US and Britain that despite their strong urgings, the generals were hell-bent on the imposition of emergency rule. The US and Britain counseled her to get out of harm’s way and quickly leave the country.”
“Traditionally, it is the opinion of the Pentagon that matters most to the brass in Rawalpindi - and not the perspectives of the State Department or readings by the Central Intelligence Agency. As long as the Pentagon’s support remains intact, as is the case presently, Rawalpindi will be pleased, and Musharraf will continue to enjoy the support of the corps commanders.
“At the moment, Musharraf is not looking much beyond the endorsement of the emergency rule by the top brass of the Pakistani armed forces. He doesn’t care for his popularity ratings in Pakistan. And, conceivably, he wouldn’t be particularly flustered by the international reaction either. Musharraf has assessed that the worsening situation in Afghanistan leaves the US with hardly much choice in the matter other than working with the regime that he chooses to head.”
This entry was posted on Monday, November 5th, 2007 at 5:37 am and is filed under Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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