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The former general’s era

Muhammad Omar Iftikhar


Pakistan was facing ample crises when the armed forces took over the country in 1999. The state institutions were falling apart, Pakistan’s newfound status as a nuclear power took a controversial stance in the region, and the tense situation at the Kargil border was edging Pakistan and India towards a possible confrontation.
The political arena of the country could not produce anyone who could resolve these challenges. This compelled the armed men in boots to make their presence felt in Islamabad on that fateful night of October 12, 1999.
Democracy in Pakistan never bloomed to its full potential as military coups halted the process more than often. These takeovers sent Pakistan in a downward spiral when East Pakistan was lost in 1971 under General Yahya Khan’s military rule. Later, General Zia-ul-Haq and his concept of Islamization introduced in the country the other side of religion which was backed with radical forces and extremism. However, the country’s political and economic side remained balanced under Pervez Musharraf’s government. It was during the latter half of his tenure when the country experienced turbulence due to his unsound decisions. Musharraf emerged as a visionary leader during the early years of his tenure. His image from a military leader turned into a statesman during the Agra Summit in 2001, when he verbally defeated the Indian press at the Breakfast Table Conference. The erstwhile general had a logical and practical reply to every question which the Indian press was throwing at him. It is certain that a democratically elected leader would have shown signs of cold sweat and dizziness if placed in a similar situation.
Musharraf’s leadership was then tested when the United States asked for Pakistan’s support in its war against terror following the 9/11 attacks, which occurred within two years of Musharraf’s rise to power. Many considered Musharraf’s alliance with the U.S. an imprudent act, but it was not a choice which Islamabad had, but the need of the hour. Had Pakistan not extended its support to Washington, then Pakistan would have been in a worse state than it is now, and the U.S.-Pakistan relations would have become sore years ago.
People have been evaluating Musharraf’s 9-year era of dictatorship with the five-year tenure of the PPP-led government, which began in September 2008 and ended in March 2013. For a fact, every sector flourished during the general’s rule as the GDP reached to 8.96 in 2004. In contrast, the PPP-led government couldn’t make avenues to reach a 4% GDP growth. In addition, during Musharraf’s rule, a stable foreign exchange rate led the business class and the entrepreneurs take a sigh of relief as the value of the Pakistani Rupee against the U.S. dollar remained between PKR. 44.55 to PKR. 58 that resulted in economic and financial firmness. In contrast, the value of the Pakistani Rupee as against the U.S. dollar touched the historic 100-mark in April 2013, which is raising anxiety among the business community, specially the traders. The State Bank reserves in 2002-03 stood at $9.52 billion while in April 2013 they fell to $6.64 billion. Education sector, which is the least focused in the country, got a robust growth under Musharraf’s presidency, as the literacy rate increased by nearly 11% and opening of various technical colleges and universities across Pakistan was a beacon of hope for the children of Pakistan. The country’s foreign exchange reserves amplified from U.S. $1.7 billion in 1999 to U.S. $13 billion in 2006 while the public debt as a share of GDP reduced to 54% from 80% in 2000. Furthermore, Pakistan’s external debt in 2008 was $45 billion while it touched the $65 billion mark in 2012. Moreover, the agricultural output during Musharraf’s era augmented by 7.5 percent, services sector grew at 6% per annum, and foreign investment increased from $0.5 billion to $8.5 billion. The foreign direct investment coming in Pakistan during 2007-08 was 5,409 million which fell to 812 million in 2011-12.
The lawyers are also standing against Musharraf for his decision to sack the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in 2007.
Moreover, the implementation of the Provincial Constitution Order (PCO) and the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) has put a dent on Musharraf’s image. Furthermore, his decision to grant permission to the U.S. to carryout drone attacks on Pakistani soil has marred his political acumen. Giving an interview to an international news channel following his return, Musharraf admitted that his government did seal a secret pact with the United States, which granted permission to the U.S. to conduct drone attacks in Pakistan. During the interview, Musharraf said, “Pakistan gave permission only on a few occasions, when a target was absolutely isolated and [there was] no chance of collateral damage”.
Even with a military stamp on his existence, Musharraf’s rule was better than the democratic setup which followed after he resigned as the country’s President in August 2008. A democratic government did complete five years in office, the first time in Pakistan’s history, however, people still consider that keeping Musharraf’s unwise decisions aside, the era of 1999 to 2008 was significantly better than the one which the Pakistanis endured from 2008 to 2013.

(The writer is a regular columnist for various English dailies and writes on regional issues)


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