President buckles under powerful political punch

I remember once Late General Ziaul Haq narrated to me that the happiest moment of his life was when he was able to buy a Raleigh cycle (Green colour). That was one of the most prized possessions he had. I simply smiled, when I looked on the table, as there was a substantial quantity of roasted almond nuts served during office hours, with tea etc and during Eid days, thousands of people used to call on him and they were lavishly treated with sweets of diverse varieties and incredible display of eatables all under government expenses. The stories of jihadi funds being the source of affluence of his family is widely talked about. Corruption has the inherent propensity to multiply under dictatorial governance. Selective prosperity and mass poverty are the common features of their abhorrent rule. In a way, all dictators, with few exceptions are brothers-under-the-skin, who put on façade of 'bravado', but underneath they have inherent weakness and cowardice which they hide. Real commandos do not display their valour, nor their broad-chest. Their strength lies inside, which comes into operation under conditions of crises.

'The last punch' General (retd) Musharraf always boasted of would be his and that he would knock out of all his adversaries. He vicariously inhaled power from the support, he received from the Bush government. It is indeed very ironical that during the first tenure of his election, when asked by some journalist as to who was the President of Pakistan, Bush could not recall his name, but what was even more ridiculous that the Pakistani President according to him, was an "elected leader." When Pervez Musharraf consented to provide full support to his so-called War on Terror, he and his establishment members showered many praises on him. Bush crossing all limits, labelled him a 'statesman' and leader of great acumen. It was all to strengthen his commitment to kill as many Taliban as possible.

In fact, when USA threatened him of rendering Pakistan into the stone age, should he not comply, he displayed servility and total subservience. This is the real self of the much boastful dictator, whose 'self image' was blown out of proportion due to ill-deserved praises, he received from crafty US political manipulators. Had there been a democratic leader accountable to the parliament, he would have the courage to say 'No' to the demands that were outrageously anti-Pakistan. Even those who demanded favours and facilities never expected that the dictator would go to exhibit full compliance. By agreeing to the nefarious design, he has transformed strategic parts of our country into killing fields. After all Turkey refused to use its territory for launching air attacks against Iraq. The elected leader rightly said that he would have to take the consent of the parliament, which did not agree to the demand. This is the power of democracy. USA could do nothing to Turkey in revenge.