Once a General, always a VIP

[karan.1970]

Once a General, always a VIP

Islamabad - Former military dictator General (r) Pervez Musharraf has been accorded a VIP protocol even at the Islamabad Police rest house in H-11 sector, where he is being ‘entertained’ on judicial remand.

The former army chief and president enjoyed hi-tea upon his arrival at the rest house, then was served with mushroom soup and coffee. Officials said Musharraf looked uncomfortable as he sat in a comfortable sofa at the rest house.

Having been granted a two day transit remand by an Islamabad court on Friday morning, Islamabad Police took him to his house, and later on shifted him to the police rest house. A senior police official confirmed to The Nation that former President enjoyed full protocol when he reached the rest house.

Official sources said he refused to take the dinner and demanded mushroom soup and black coffee instead, while he kept puffing cigar during all this time. He also demanded all newspapers of Friday, and he kept busy most of the time on his cell phone.
Musharraf was provided with the service of an efficient cook of the rest house and fifteen police constables have been deputed for the former General’s look after. Islamabad IGP directed SP headquarter to personally keep an eye on all the arrangements so the VIP should feel at home.

Earlier, Islamabad Chief Commissioner had requested the court that the former military ruler should be placed under house arrest and his house be declared as sub-jail over security concerns, and he was initially placed under house arrest but some senior officials voiced concern that according to law an accused cannot be placed under house arrest.

Musharraf’s lawyer had also requested the magistrate to send his client on judicial remand instead of handing over to the police on physical remand.

The former president is also facing other legal cases, including treason charges for imposing emergency rule, the 2007 assassination of former premier Benazir Bhutto and the killing of Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti in 2006.

Musharraf, who ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, has denied all charges and said he would defend himself in courts. He had resigned in August 2008 to avoid impeachment by the parliament and went into a long exile.

 

[W.11]

why is an indian bothered about how we treat our presidents and army generals? is the daily livelihood of any indian effected?

he is given protocol because he is constantly under threat from talibans and other terrorists, if he gets killed it will be pakistan's image at stake that even the former president of pakistan's life not safe

 

[blain2]

Because there is this silly tendency to assume that Musharraf is guilty of everything that he is being charged with.

There is no "treason" case involved in the emergency imposition. The treason case is related to the 1999 takeover and the holding in abeyance of the constitution. Since the SC signed off on the takeover, Musharraf cannot be held liable for it.

All of the other cases, including the one in ATC for the detention of the judges are cases where at most he can be punished with jail time if anything can be proven.

BB's case - Some link between him to police and security's failure in preventing BB's death has to be proven. The President of a Country cannot be held responsible as he is not the one holding the gun and guarding people. The Interior Ministry has to decide who/what will be made available to a former PM of the Country.

Bugti's case - Once again, another case where the death of Nawab Bugti has to be directly linked to Musharraf showing clearly that he "Ordered" the killing of the nawab.

Lal Masjid - Then again, one more case where layers upon layers of government and security machinery was involved. In addition, no government of Pakistan can be held responsible for taking action against a group that uses force and sets up a parallel government. If the Lal Masjid case results in Musharraf getting punished, then in the future the entire GoP and the Pakistan Army and Air Force can be held liable for the fighting and deaths in the FATA and elsewhere. There is legal indemnity for the Government and its personnel in such cases.

Detention of Judges - This is the one case where the Courts, which are biased against the General, would have to be convinced that the detention of the judges was for their security due to the imposition of the emergency and that the President was just one member of the entire government that decided to declare the state of emergency. The imposition of emergency is well within the rights of a Government. The counter would be that Musharraf's government was illegal, however the counter to that counter is that the PCO legalized his government after the 1999 takeover and on the basis of that, his government was well within its rights to declare the state of emergency.

In between here and there, Musharraf will be intimidated by holding him up in the jails for various documentary and procedural issues.

 

[Sedqal]

Because there is this silly tendency to assume that Musharraf is guilty of everything that he is being charged with.

There is no "treason" case involved in the emergency imposition. The treason case is related to the 1999 takeover and the holding in abeyance of the constitution. Since the SC signed off on the takeover, Musharraf cannot be held liable for it.

All of the other cases, including the one in ATC for the detention of the judges are cases where at most he can be punished with jail time if anything can be proven.

BB's case - Some link between him to police and security's failure in preventing BB's death has to be proven. The President of a Country cannot be held responsible as he is not the one holding the gun and guarding people. The Interior Ministry has to decide who/what will be made available to a former PM of the Country.

Bugti's case - Once again, another case where the death of Nawab Bugti has to be directly linked to Musharraf showing clearly that he "Ordered" the killing of the nawab.

Lal Masjid - Then again, one more case where layers upon layers of government and security machinery was involved. In addition, no government of Pakistan can be held responsible for taking action against a group that uses force and sets up a parallel government. If the Lal Masjid case results in Musharraf getting punished, then in the future the entire GoP and the Pakistan Army and Air Force can be held liable for the fighting and deaths in the FATA and elsewhere. There is legal indemnity for the Government and its personnel in such cases.

Detention of Judges - This is the one case where the Courts, which are biased against the General, would have to be convinced that the detention of the judges was for their security due to the imposition of the emergency and that the President was just one member of the entire government that decided to declare the state of emergency. The imposition of emergency is well within the rights of a Government. The counter would be that Musharraf's government was illegal, however the counter to that counter is that the PCO legalized his government after the 1999 takeover and on the basis of that, his government was well within its rights to declare the state of emergency.

In between here and there, Musharraf will be intimidated by holding him up in the jails for various documentary and procedural issues.

We have seen the grand justice meted out to NS after the coup and how much freedom he was provided by PA. As I remember Ns's whole family except for his daughter and wife were behind bars. PA never thought that he was twice the PM and his life could have dangers too. You claim that I am 'virulently anti-army' when I point out to these atrocities. Same has been done to almost every political party - Pervaiz Rashid of PMLN was raped by an Army major.

 

[Sashan]

Because there is this silly tendency to assume that Musharraf is guilty of everything that he is being charged with.

There is no "treason" case involved in the emergency imposition. The treason case is related to the 1999 takeover and the holding in abeyance of the constitution. Since the SC signed off on the takeover, Musharraf cannot be held liable for it.

All of the other cases, including the one in ATC for the detention of the judges are cases where at most he can be punished with jail time if anything can be proven.

BB's case - Some link between him to police and security's failure in preventing BB's death has to be proven. The President of a Country cannot be held responsible as he is not the one holding the gun and guarding people. The Interior Ministry has to decide who/what will be made available to a former PM of the Country.

Bugti's case - Once again, another case where the death of Nawab Bugti has to be directly linked to Musharraf showing clearly that he "Ordered" the killing of the nawab.

Lal Masjid - Then again, one more case where layers upon layers of government and security machinery was involved. In addition, no government of Pakistan can be held responsible for taking action against a group that uses force and sets up a parallel government. If the Lal Masjid case results in Musharraf getting punished, then in the future the entire GoP and the Pakistan Army and Air Force can be held liable for the fighting and deaths in the FATA and elsewhere. There is legal indemnity for the Government and its personnel in such cases.

Detention of Judges - This is the one case where the Courts, which are biased against the General, would have to be convinced that the detention of the judges was for their security due to the imposition of the emergency and that the President was just one member of the entire government that decided to declare the state of emergency. The imposition of emergency is well within the rights of a Government. The counter would be that Musharraf's government was illegal, however the counter to that counter is that the PCO legalized his government after the 1999 takeover and on the basis of that, his government was well within its rights to declare the state of emergency.

In between here and there, Musharraf will be intimidated by holding him up in the jails for various documentary and procedural issues.

Excellent analysis read the accusations and cases against him and wondered why he returned. This gives a perspective.

 

[W.11]

We have seen the grand justice meted out to NS after the coup and how much freedom he was provided by PA. As I remember Ns's whole family except for his daughter and wife were behind bars. PA never thought that he was twice the PM and his life could have dangers too. You claim that I am 'virulently anti-army' when I point out to these atrocities. Same has been done to almost every political party - Pervaiz Rashid of PMLN was raped by an Army major.

he was in jail for his actions, he tried to kill an army general and serving COAS and he thought he is invinsible, he was involved in intended man slaughter, he couldnt have been hanged for this, but musharraf forgave him

 

[Sedqal]

he was in jail for his actions, he tried to kill an army general and serving COAS and he thought he is invinsible, he was involved in intended man slaughter, he couldnt have been hanged for this, but musharraf forgave him

Its not confined to NS or PMLN.,What about PPP, MQM, ANP the list goes on. The rape charge presented above is not the only one I am afraid, ANP and MQM also claim that similar treatment was meted out to their workers and leaders.

NS case is a complete fabrication. The passengers on that plane have NEVER been interviewed or presented before courts. Whats more NS is pressing an inquiry commission is formed to go through that case.

 

[surya kiran]

Lal Masjid

Why is he being tried for Lal Masjid? Was this not a requirement to ensure that the clerics there followed the Pak Constitution? The way I see it, he was, upholding the PC.

Having said that, he is not a criminal. He has still not been proven guilty by the court, so would it not be that he is innocent until proven guilty. Ofcourse, my assumption here is that Pak law follows the presumption of innocence principle. So since, he is not yet proven guilty he will be accorded facilities as per protocol allocated to an ex head of state. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Cheers!

 

[W.11]

Its not confined to NS or PMLN.,What about PPP, MQM, ANP the list goes on. The rape charge presented above is not the only one I am afraid, ANP and MQM also claim that similar treatment was meted out to their workers and leaders.

NS case is a complete fabrication. The passengers on that plane have NEVER been interviewed or presented before courts. Whats more NS is pressing an inquiry commission is formed to go through that case.

if thats the case that its a fabrication then why NS didnt even approach the courts for last five years? even when CJ is very favourable towards PMLN

 

[third eye]

why is an indian bothered about how we treat our presidents and army generals? is the daily livelihood of any indian effected?

Why dont people read before taking off ?

The Indian who has started this thread has C & P a news item from a Pakistani Paper . He therefore is echoing Pak views. Why is the messenger being shot ?

@ Subject. In my view he is the former Head of State ( never mind COAS) and has beed detained on charges of alleged .. whatever.

He deserves the respect , security & protocol a former Head of State deserves till proven guilty after which the law of the Land should apply.

 

[blain2]

We have seen the grand justice meted out to NS after the coup and how much freedom he was provided by PA. As I remember Ns's whole family except for his daughter and wife were behind bars. PA never thought that he was twice the PM and his life could have dangers too. You claim that I am 'virulently anti-army' when I point out to these atrocities. Same has been done to almost every political party - Pervaiz Rashid of PMLN was raped by an Army major.

So what is the atrocity? NS was removed in a bloodless coup. Not a single member of his family was hurt. What he did in detention is what Musharraf is doing now. Pervez Rashid being raped by an Army major is the first that I am hearing about. Not saying that it cannot or did not happen, but what does that mean for the Army as a whole? Did a General in the Army order the raping? Capt Jameel killed 7 Sindhi villagers, and he was sent to the gallows for that. So the point is that if there is proof, people are punished for the wrong doing. Justice is not always perfect, we see it daily in our lives in Pakistan, in certain cases guilty officers and men can also get away. However I would not generalize this as an excess that applies to the entire Army.

 

[blain2]

Its not confined to NS or PMLN.,What about PPP, MQM, ANP the list goes on. The rape charge presented above is not the only one I am afraid, ANP and MQM also claim that similar treatment was meted out to their workers and leaders.

NS case is a complete fabrication. The passengers on that plane have NEVER been interviewed or presented before courts. Whats more NS is pressing an inquiry commission is formed to go through that case.

Please by all means have the inquiry. You may be surprised by what you find out. Similarly, I would like to see a complete and unbiased inquiry of the Lal Masjid situation with all of the detailed interviews of the law enforcers in it. Not just the one-sided stories of the Lal Masjid brigade. Then lets see what we find out.

The problem in Pakistan is not lack of information, its the lack of truth and accurate information! It takes no time for lies to become facts overnight.

To your other point, whenever the military is deployed in internal security, you are essentially applying a 1000 Kg hammer to a small nail. However Benazir Bhutto and then Nawaz Sharif, both supposed democrats, deployed Army and Rangers in Sind against the urban population and I am sure the MQM has significant problems with the way this force was used against them. Army was first used in Balochistan at a significant level during Z A Bhutto's rule and the Baloch have had gripes ever since then. But the issue is two pronged. First, why is the Army being used for such internal security issues?, and secondly, why did the political leaders resort to military force to solve political problems? Its not the Army that is just barging in trying to use its overwhelming force against civilians. In most cases, they are nudged or invited in.

 

[Sedqal]

So what is the atrocity? NS was removed in a bloodless coup. Not a single member of his family was hurt. What he did in detention is what Musharraf is doing now. Pervez Rashid being raped by an Army major is the first that I am hearing about. Not saying that it cannot or did not happen, but what does that mean for the Army as a whole? Did a General in the Army order the raping? Capt Jameel killed 7 Sindhi villagers, and he was sent to the gallows for that. So the point is that if there is proof, people are punished of the wrong doing. Justice is not always perfect, we see it daily in our lives in Pakistan, in certain cases guilty officers and men can also get away. However I would not generalize this as an excess that applies to the entire Army.

An illegal bloodless coup (don't forget that police and Army jawans came down to a shootout, police it seems still have some respect for rule of law). NS children had NOTHING to do with politics why were they put in jail? If Musharraf's son is nabbed today you will consider it an ultimate insult. NS was put in handcuffs and thrown in Attock jail why should the same not happen to Musharraf and all the cronies who helped him an illegal coup?

Army excess is that it nabbed those people in the first place. What the heck has army got to do with nabbing politicians even after the coup, thats the job of police. With these tactics they have created an anti-army sentiment in politicians (who have huge following and can influence public sentiment) now Army claims that it should not be judged by actions of dictators but as an institution it helps the dictators till the last second. In case of Musharraf they are helping him even after he has resigned.

 

[Sedqal]

Oh yes and in last thread you were saying that TuQ was in no way related to PA > Here is something from Samson Simon Sharaf:

Earlier, he had single-handedly taken the sting of vitriolic propaganda launched by a TV channel of Times of India that saw his popularity surge. The IRI surveys, putting more trust in the military than the political system, also played their role in his decision fatale. In typical military fashion, the earlier arrival of Allama Tahirul Qadri appears a softening operation pending the arrival of the Godot. But, the Godot never comes!
Surrounded by a group of devoted followers, who shared his dreams and provided the pompous and megalomaniac aura around him, he succumbed to his innate instincts.
----------

Special emphasis on 'in typical military fashion'

----------

Source: Delusions of indispensability

 

[Jango]

Islamabad police really is trying to save him!

Anyways coming on to the points that blain2 noted, if Musharraf gets convicted for Lal Masjid case, then we can say goodbye to peace. This would be a signal to terrorists to do anything they want and get away with it! Lal Masjid was an ammo storage with hundreds of fighters holed up...this is a ridiculous case.