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Army Brought Country Back, Civilian Derailed: Musharraf

Web Desk (August 03, 2017): Former President and Chief of All Pakistan Muslim League General Musharraf has said that Military rule has always brought the country back on track, whereas civilian governments have always derailed it.

During an interview with BBC Urdu, Musharraf asserted that democracy or dictatorship makes no difference to the people as they only want employment, prosperity, and security.He notified that whenever martial law is imposed in the country, it is the need of the hour. The former president articulated that progress in different Asian countries happened only due to dictators.

“Record progress was witnessed in the country in Ayub Khan’s 10 year era,” he said.While replying to a question, Musharraf pointed out that army was not involved in breaking Pakistan but rather Bhutto whereas Yahya Khan can also be blamed for this.

He lauded former military dictators, he said that whenever a martial law was declared in Pakistan, “it was the need of the hour”.“Dictators set the country right, whereas civilian governments brought it to ruins,” he said, claiming that “military rule always brought progress to Pakistan”.

“All Asian countries have seen progress because of dictators,” he said, adding that it makes no difference to the population of Pakistan whether the country is being governed by an elected government or by an autocrat, as long as there is progress and prosperity.

“What is the point of holding elections and giving liberty [to the population], if the country does not see progress?” he was quoted as saying.

During the interview, Musharraf lauded the rules of former military dictators Field Marshal Ayub Khan and Gen Ziaul Haq.

Commenting on the rule of Gen Zia, Musharraf — while accepting that it was “controversial” — maintained that the former dictator’s decision to help America and the mujahideen against the Soviet Union at the time of the Afghanistan invasion was a correct move.Musharraf also spoke about his 1999 coup d’état in which he seized power from the democratically-elected government of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

He said, “The coup was staged because it was the demand of the country’s people”.

Musharraf added that Pakistan’s citizens should have the option of to remove a civilian government and there should be “checks and balances in the Constitution” to this effect.

“The people come running to the army to be saved; people come to me asking to be saved,” he said.

“We cannot ruin the country in order to save the Constitution. We can disregard the Constitution to save the people,” he said.Musharraf further criticised former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s India policy, saying it was a “total sell-out policy”.

“India is involved in Balochistan. Whoever works actively against the welfare of Pakistan is against the country and should be killed,” he said.

“I have served as the head of the army and the army will always protect my welfare,” he said in response to a question about his self-imposed exile.

Despite pending court cases against him, the former dictator left Pakistan in March 2016, saying he would return “in a few weeks” after medical treatment.

Musharraf is facing a treason trial for clamping emergency in the country on Nov 3, 2007.

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