Musharraf in the line of fire

The recent revelations made by Lt Gen Gulzar Kiyani (LGGK) and Dr A Q Khan (Dr AQK) in two separate TV interviews must have come as a bolt from the blue for the beleaguered President Pervez Musharraf (PPM). They must have also shocked his loyalists and the innocent people who had still carried faith in his veracity, sincerity and indispensability. No matter how hard PPM and his loyalists may now try, and try they will, to discredit LGGK and Dr AQK, their efforts are not likely to succeed because since March 9, 2007, PPM has almost totally lost his credibility with a large majority of the people of Pakistan.
The arbitrary and unconstitutional acts of three other military rulers before him, President Ayub Khan, (PAK), President Yahya Khan (PYK), and President Ziaul Haq (PZUH), which also caused great damage to the country's economy, polity and institutions, were seen by the people as mere mistakes but for the sake of Pakistan's glory or security and not as acts to prolong their personal rule.
PAK acted most arbitrarily during his ten year rule. He summarily dismissed many senior bureaucrats, took the country to a suicidal war with India, alienated East Pakistan by treating it as a colony rather than as an equal partner in the federation and sowed the seeds of the country's break-up, but most of his bad decisions were also seen by the people as in Pakistan's interest and not in his personal interest.
GYK also summarily dismissed over three hundred senior bureaucrats, imprisoned many political leaders, ordered an untenable and brutal military operation in East Pakistan in March 1971 which turned out to be an unmitigated disaster, nevertheless his decisions still enjoyed widespread support in West Pakistan as they were seen by the people as an attempt to save the country and not as a vengeful act in his personal interest.
In his turn PZUK also behaved exactly in the same arbitrary manner. But again the people saw his acts in the interest of Pakistan. So his military intervention on July 5, 1977 was seen as an act designed to end the ZAB-PNA imbroglio and prevent the "impending" civil war, then his decision not to hold the elections after 90 days was also seen in the same light and willingly accepted by a majority of the postpone. Next time when he postponed the elections it was in the name of Islamisation that was actually welcomed by the people. Then came the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and helped him consolidate his rule.