The long history of military coup d’états in the Third World tells us about its corollary where the Bonapartists responsible for toppling elected governments are let off the hook. No civilian setup dares to question these generals, leave alone put them in the dock for their deeds. Here in Pakistan, there have been three military takeovers but no culprit has ever stood trial. The first military takeover was by Field Marshal Ayub Khan, while the second by late General Ziaul Haq. Then came General Pervez Musharraf who dismembered a popularly elected government with two-thirds majority. Putting him to trial may seem farfetched given how he was seen off with a guard of honour. Turkey has grasped the nettle by not only bringing the culprits to book but sentencing three former generals to 20-year jail term. A total of 250 were taken into custody of which only 34 were acquitted. They have been punished for plotting to overthrow the government in 2003. The majority of the people in Turkey see this action as a crucial step forward to strengthen democracy.We must take our cue from the Turkish Justice and Development Party’s courageous decision to set an example at home. This can turn out to be an effective measure to deter ambitious military officials from upsetting the democratic order.

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