Recently, I watched a television programme which focused on the perceived achievements of the president. People belonging to various walks of life were interviewed to discuss the president’s accomplishments. It was observed that most people belonging to the so-called elite class were full of praise for the president and termed him a saviour who would protect him from corruption and wrongdoings of politicians. However, I feel that these people were either too innocent or have a very short memory as prior to the previous regime led by the retired general no one had really heard about the unrest in the tribal areas. Similarly, no mosque in Pakistan had ever been attacked with sophisticated weaponry.
The media was attacked by the Musharraf regime. An extremely ugly and cowardly attack on the judiciary was also carried out by the president -- and not once but twice. It was under his rule that mothers lost their sons, wives their husbands, sisters their brothers and innocent children their fathers to the security agencies, who later handed them over to the US and the Nato forces without any legal proceedings on charges of terrorism. Suicide attacks became a norm, while the state disintegrated. I wonder if Mr Musharraf has really been successful as president.