Pakistan’s tryst with destiny in 2014
The former military dictator of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf has made a sensational claim that the “whole army” is opposed to the upcoming treason trial that could seal his fate forever. Musharraf insists that is the case but the retired general Talat Masood who is well-placed to comment on the issue derides it as an “inflated assessment” and discloses that the army has already “given its nod” for the trial and has “already accepted the reality.” Masood added a caveat that there could be “some” in the army “who have not reconciled this reality” but they too will have no choice to accept it later. {AFP).
Pakistan is hurtling toward 2014 like a scud missile. Not only because of the endgame in Afghanistan, but, principally, because this is the year that will determine whether Pakistan can keep its tryst with destiny as a democratic country enjoying civilian supremacy.
Musharraf’s desperate last-ditch efforts seem to have failed to stall the proceedings of the specially-constituted court which will frame charges against him on the New Year’s Day. His attempt to involve the army appears to be the very last card.
All eyes are now going to be on Pakistan’s army chief General Raheel Sharif. In fact, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s choice of Gen Sharif as the army chief to succeed Gen. Ashfaq Kayani assumes an altogether new meaning. The Indian commentators seem to have counted the trees but missed the wood.
The Saudi establishment daily Asharq Al-Awsat featured today a profile of Gen. Sharif, which is very sensitively drawn, and it gives insights that only go to corroborate Gen. Masood’s reading that Pakistani army will go along with the treason trial of Musharraf.
The picture of Gen. Sharif that emerges is of someone whose main credential, from Prime Minister Sharif’s perspective, could well have been that he “does not feel qualified to speak out” on issues that he never dealt with in his distinguished career in the army — which means simply all things that fall outside of the domain of soldiering. Read it here.
Posted in Military, Politics
The former military dictator of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf has made a sensational claim that the “whole army” is opposed to the upcoming treason trial that could seal his fate forever. Musharraf insists that is the case but the retired general Talat Masood who is well-placed to comment on the issue derides it as an “inflated assessment” and discloses that the army has already “given its nod” for the trial and has “already accepted the reality.” Masood added a caveat that there could be “some” in the army “who have not reconciled this reality” but they too will have no choice to accept it later. {AFP).
Pakistan is hurtling toward 2014 like a scud missile. Not only because of the endgame in Afghanistan, but, principally, because this is the year that will determine whether Pakistan can keep its tryst with destiny as a democratic country enjoying civilian supremacy.
Musharraf’s desperate last-ditch efforts seem to have failed to stall the proceedings of the specially-constituted court which will frame charges against him on the New Year’s Day. His attempt to involve the army appears to be the very last card.
All eyes are now going to be on Pakistan’s army chief General Raheel Sharif. In fact, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s choice of Gen Sharif as the army chief to succeed Gen. Ashfaq Kayani assumes an altogether new meaning. The Indian commentators seem to have counted the trees but missed the wood.
The Saudi establishment daily Asharq Al-Awsat featured today a profile of Gen. Sharif, which is very sensitively drawn, and it gives insights that only go to corroborate Gen. Masood’s reading that Pakistani army will go along with the treason trial of Musharraf.
The picture of Gen. Sharif that emerges is of someone whose main credential, from Prime Minister Sharif’s perspective, could well have been that he “does not feel qualified to speak out” on issues that he never dealt with in his distinguished career in the army — which means simply all things that fall outside of the domain of soldiering. Read it here.
Posted in Military, Politics
