In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

I wholeheartedly agree with the article.

If President Musharaf is not leading Pakistan or is removed then it will have consequences for rest of the world, not just Pakistan.

In praise of Pakistani Pres. Pervez Musharraf

By JACK ROSEN

There has been a flood of criticism of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in the United States in recent months. Caroline B. Glick’s “Pakistani Nightmare” (Jerusalem Post, October 8) reprises many of the themes in these attacks on Musharraf. As one who has developed a fairly close relationship with him over the past few years in my capacity as chairman of the Council for World Jewry of the American Jewish Congress, including hosting Musharraf’s meeting with American Jews in New York in 2005 and visiting him in Islamabad several times, I have been dismayed by what I think is a lack of understanding of the very real dangers that would face Pakistan and the world if he were to be removed. The Islamists in Pakistan are a well-armed and well-financed force that wields considerable influence within many parts of the government and has close ties with the Pakistani military and intelligence services. These ties grew in the 1980s when massive US and Saudi military assistance to Afghanistan’s anti-Soviet mujahadeen flowed from the United States and Saudi Arabia through Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

IN THE 1990s, Pakistani governments funded and trained Islamist “freedom fighters” for operations against Indian targets in the disputed region of Kashmir. US officials believe that by the time of 9/11, the influence of Islamist sympathizers in Pakistan’s army, intelligence services, and government had reached a dangerously high level. In addition, as former prime minister Benazir Bhutto recently said, Pakistan’s military and intelligence services have, for decades, used religious parties for recruits. The ISI, in particular, includes many key figures who have Islamist attachments. Part of their appeal is that the Islamists embrace strong nationalist symbols, positioning themselves as the protectors of Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent capability and the champions of securing Kashmir for Pakistan. When, after 9/11, the United States put much greater pressure on Pakistan to cut its ties with militant Islam, Musharraf made a momentous decision to join the war on terrorism. But Musharraf’s personal commitment was not shared by many hard-line skeptics within his own army. Many of them doubted that the United States could be trusted as an ally, given the US commitment to India, and did not want to turn against longtime jihadi allies. In addition, the costs of confronting the well-entrenched mujahadeen in the border regions with Afghanistan were daunting. This tension within the Pakistani national security establishment still exists today. If Musharraf, the strongest figure in the moderate wing, were removed, it is very possible that this balance would shift to the advantage of the Islamists and forces hostile to the West. Musharraf’s critics paint a rosy picture of what might happen if Musharraf were removed. But what if they prove wrong, as critics of the Shah of Iran were in 1979 when they predicted that moderate forces would take power after his removal?

RADICAL ELEMENTS in an unstable Pakistan could create a nightmare in the sphere of nuclear proliferation. What could happen is illustrated by the case of A.Q. Khan, who headed Pakistan’s nuclear program until 2002. Khan admitted in 2004 that he transferred nuclear technology including gas centrifuges known as Pak-1’s, to Iran between 1989 and 1991 and to North Korea and Libya between 1991 and 1997. In addition, the Pakistani government arrested scientists linked to Khan for suspected connections with the Taliban. Khan claims that the nuclear weapons technology transfers to Iran were authorized by a former Chief of Army Staff. The Army oversaw and controlled Khan’s nuclear weapons development program, and Hans Blix, former chief of the IAEA, believes that Khan could not have acted alone without collusion from powerful elements of the national security establishment. Musharraf has brought this under control, and the threat is much smaller today. But pressures in the opposite direction still exist, and what would happen without Musharraf is a very open question. Nor is a return to nuclear proliferation activities the only nightmare scenario. Only five years ago, in May 2002, a state of near-war existed between Pakistan and India, two nuclear-armed states, over the disputed Kashmir region. A million soldiers were facing each other across the India-Pakistan border, and daily clashes were occurring. Britain, which had historical ties to the two sides, warned that the clash could become “the most serious conflict in the world in terms of potential casualties and the use of nuclear weapons.” British intelligence thought the situation was so tense that just one provocation could trigger a bloody war that could lead to the first use of atomic weapons since Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A terrorist attack by jihadists could lead Indian troops to retaliate against Pakistan, using their superiority in conventional forces to overwhelm the Pakistanis. Islamabad might feel compelled to use its weapon of last resort: a nuclear device. India could survive the strike and hit back with its own atomic weapons. Were this scenario acted out, millions would die.

BUT THE worst did not happen, because Musharraf and cooler heads on the Indian side responded to intensive diplomatic efforts by other countries.
India and Pakistan began to withdraw troops from the international border in June 2002, and negotiations began. By November 2003, the two sides achieved the first “total cease-fire” in nearly 15 years. In December 2006, Musharraf told an Indian TV channel that Pakistan was willing to give up its claim on Kashmir if India would accept some of his peace proposals. Musharraf’s spokesman stated that Kashmir was never considered an “integral part” of Pakistan. What the Times of London had declared to be an imminent nuclear threat on May 23, 2002, was by 2006 transformed by Musharraf and Indian leaders into a manageable regional dispute. But here too, the pressures in the other direction still exist. Remove Musharraf, and you may be gambling with the stability of Indo-Pakistani relations, with all that implies for the United States and the world.

Keeping Musharraf there as a steady hand does not mean that no change in the status quo is possible. New power-sharing arrangements may very well be necessary and inevitable. But a Pakistan without Musharraf could be a much more dangerous place. In fact, if you look across the world, it is hard to identify any single leader whose removal could open up greater dangers beyond his own country, than President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan.

The writer chairs the American Jewish Congress-Council for World Jewry, the sponsor of the 25th International Conference of Mayors in Jerusalem.

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

After seeing BB's true colors, I have to agree.

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

^ Explain, as BB will fight the extremists.

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

Musharraf has no integrity or credibility anymore. He will make deals with anyone, provided they make sure hes going to be in power. He has formed alliances with convicted thugs and corrupt politicians like altaf Hussain and Chaudhry Shujaat. Power corrupts absolutely everyone.

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

people also said the same thing for Zia-ul-Haq. But saga of Pakistan continued even after his violent death.

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

Yeah that and also more mush stays in power more dengrious pakistan is going to get hence making musharaf more necessary for the world.
This cycle is going to break when mush reaches to his logical end.

Note::PPL don't touch my post please.

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

jews praising mushy. wht else? giving jerusalem back to the palestinians? :halo: :rolleyes:

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

yes but its still all musharrafs fault

quaid e azam died a year after pakistan was made, its musharrafs fault
ayub khan resigned from office, its musharrafs fault
we lost east pakistan, its musharrafs fault
zulfiqar bhutto nationalized pakistan, its musharrafs fault
zia ul haq destroyed pakistans society, its musharrafs fault
osama bin laden was born, its musharrafs fault
taliban was made, its musharrafs fault
nawa shriff and benazir looted pakistan to the core, its musharrafs fault
we had to withdraw our troops from kargil despite being an inch to victory, its musharrafs fault
we got bankrupt, its musharrafs fault
bush came to power in usa, its musharrafs fault
2 planes hit the WTC, its musharrafs fault
usa invaded afganistan and iraq, its musharrafs fault

i have a headache, its musharrafs fault
damm i cant find a paracetamol, bloody musharraf u loser.

these articles are useless, they make no sense, musharraf is useless cant you see.

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

^no even in the beginning every one of us loved mush.
But later he turned into a power hungry politician.(thts definatly his fault)

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

then thats double standards, so you loved him and praised him first and appreicated his policys and projects but a few years down the road you started not just critizing him but started critizing everything you had appreciated about him before.

a very sqeeky voice says ''musharraf is doing excellent look at the media and how he has boomed it, he has completly transformed it, great job mushy bhai''
and few years down the road, the squeeky voice continues ''what an idiot he is, media boom just happened by itself, what the heck did he do''
i have seen alot of people like that, trust me dude, dnt take these people seriously they are jokers, who critize for the sake of critism and give a jacks *** about pakistan,

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

^ its gonna sound rude. But have you any clue where is he taking country too??
He has made us US colony.

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

well after he took control of a bankrupt pakistan what the whole world was saying is finished, and turned it into one of the worlds fastest growing economies the answer is quite easy, a prosperous modern state what the quaid visioned.

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

A lie, far from the truth. Had 9/11 not happened, U-Turn by Mush not happened, the country might have broken in further segments. Mush came after dethroning NS illegally. Infact he should have been tried for treason rather than makking him hero. Uncle Sam is pulling the strings here. If $ meter stopped today, what do you think, where would your beloved Mush stand?

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

Oh yeah, once Musharraf is gone, there are ONLY few options for future of Pakistan:

  1. Pakistan will become Sudan
  2. Pakistan will cease to exist on the map of the world
  3. India will take over
  4. Mongolia will take over
  5. Pakistan will become Greater Lake of Pakistan

There is no other option for land of Pakistan to live than to support his highness Musharraf to survive. This land has waited 1000 years for such a leader, he has turned the country, the world has never seen such great democracy ever before, such great progress has never been made in the history of 10,000 years.

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

who told you that nawa shirif himself. LOL

just look at the facts, 9/11 hardly did anything, the real economic boom happened in 2004, not after 9/11, pakistan was even better in 2001 before 9/11 then 1999, we were always on our way up.

9/11 has just become a fashion statment by mush haters to use as an excusse, well its a weak excuse.

your dollar meter is another fashion statement by mush haters, and this is even a siller and weaker excuse, US aid since 9/11 has been under $3 billion but development has been well above $30 billion, so please enlighten me were the other 99% of money came from, the moon, or did allah send pakistan a special economic package from heaven.

so what would happen if aid stoped today, answer is simple as ABC, it will hardly affect pakistan as its only 1% of our income.

and what was illegal about throwing NS, ye someone attempts a murder and they should not just get away with it but remain as PM, great logic.
so i see your a ganja supporter, otherwise you wouldnt have said that, but ye truth hurts, but you must accept the facts,

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

No I am not a supporter of NS. Do you agree that dethroning of NS who was PM with heavy mendate, was illegal and violating Pakistani Constitution? If some one violates constitution it comes under treason. And punishment for treason is hanging till death or life imprisonment.

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

:rotfl: look who is talking here. Someone who attempted a murder is let go outside a country by the accusing person :rotfl: … people who are directly responsible for May 12 massacre are part of his government… excellent logic :k:

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

Some people are always talking about deals when there is no such thing as deal happened. Deal happens when both side gain something. Even NRO is time specific, that is from 1986 to 1999 and thus periods of present government including Musharraf himself does not even fall in categories of those that NRO would help, hence NRO cannot be said as consequence of deal by Musharraf or Present government, rather NRO is gift of pardon from Present government to old corrupts, but on condition that court verify that gift as valid.

If President was power hungry as some would like to believe than explain why?

President kept mega corrupts like BB and Nawaz out of Pakistan and did not let them join him, even though there was time when both combined had majority of people behind them. In 2002 also he could have given a pardon (more effectively then today) to get BB on his side. Musharraf was initially willing to even give power to PPP (Amin Fahim) and it was BB that wanted blanket pardon to let her party side with Musharraf, but Musharraf did not agreed.

Now in answer don’t start rant that present team of Musharraf is also corrupt. Because even though many of them are corrupt, still they are not mega corrupts like BB, Zardari and NS. On the other hand, since they are not so politically strong, they are easier to tackle then mega corrupts who at that time were also riding with people’s popularity behind them.

On the other hand, what I know is that most of past corrupts in President team, they do not have that much free hand to do anything they like and to my knowledge, all their actions and decisions are watched by President own men from army very carefully.

The reason they are in the team is that people vote them too and they get elected fair and square (not like Imran whom ISI under the wishes of President got him elected, sacrificing one secure PML(Q) seat). If President had to have some sort of democracy in Pakistan, even sham democracy, still President needed some political entities like Chaudhari brothers or mental asset like Shaukat Aziz, not political non-entities and mental deficient in the team.

Another question I would like to ask is that, if President was willing to do anything for power, why he has to shake hand with BB and not with retards (Jihadies army of Shaitan), as they would serve the purpose better? (Though I think that President does not need to do anything for power as his power base is not people but army, though even not a necessary requirement, still he is popular amongst masses too, but that is different matter).

Now do not start answering that because Musharraf wants to keep USA happy so that he can stay in power. If that is your answer than also answer that how USA can keep Musharraf in power when USA (Bill Clinton) could not even manage to keep American most loyal servant (NS) in power? If you question what I am saying than go and dig all USA warnings that was all around during 1999 after Kargil, warning Pakistan army not to take any un-constitutional step against their loyal servant (NS), as master (USA) would not tolerate that. Later when American servant got kicked and put into prison, Bill Clinton start licking the wound on American ego by abusing President Musharraf while visiting Pakistan and did all to get NS out of Pakistani prison.

One also has to realise that President Musharraf did not visited USA (or probably was not even allowed) for years after taking over power in Pakistan. Another thing is that, President Musharraf is the first head of state of any country that openly criticized American Palestinian and American Muslim policy while visiting USA (standing on American soil), and also from UN stage. President Musharraf is first Pakistani head of state that openly declared that USA threatened to attack Pakistan (normally countries scared of USA keep quite facing such threats), and first Pakistani head of state that visited Moscow (USSR).

It was during President Musharraf rule that Pakistan openly said that if eventuality arises that there would be war between USA and China, Pakistan would stand behind China (Sh Rasheed on TV when questioned that if such eventuality arises, what Pakistan would do). When American candidate warned that American could bomb Mecca and Madina, Pakistan was the only country that dared to declare that if that would happen, Pakistan armed forces would be defending holy cities against American aggression (in parliament by government team, that included Prime Minister).

Against the threat of USA, India has almost backed out from Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, thought it is in the interest of India to go along with that pipeline. As for Pakistan, even though USA showed lot of concern that Pakistan does not go along with this proposal, thinking of Pakistani interest first, Pakistan is going through (though the talk was delayed because of India, now talk is in its final state as Iran and Pakistan decided to go along with the project without India)].

[Well, there are many things that I can put that Pakistan did under President Musharraf that was against American interest or wishes, but Pakistan did went on as it was good for Pakistan].

Another thing I would like to ask is that, why anyone thinks that deal with BB helped President?

Don’t start ranting that President needed BB to get re-elected as President, because President did not. He got over 55 percent of total available votes and none of those votes were from PPP. This shows that whatever PPP had done, President 55 percent vote was good enough to win Presidential election. As for PPP resigning, that make no difference as there is nothing in constitution that if some members of parliament and/or senate resigned or seats are empty, than presidential election could not happen. Constitutionally, Presidential election was legal even if all four provincial assemblies were dissolved along with many NA and Senate seats were empty. As long as there is NA and Senate functioning, Presidential election was possible. So, PPP resigning or not resigning was just ethical question not legal requirements (Note: PPP only have 55 seats in NA of 342 seats).

Another thing is that, it is stupid to say that President getting elected was not ethically right, as only 56 percent of electoral voters voted (44 percent did not voted). Well, if that is not ethically right than none of Pakistani elections are ethically right, as even in Pakistan general election 100 percent voters never vote. Well, since 100 percent voters do not vote in any election anywhere in the world, it means no election in the world is ethically right. Actually in most Pakistani general election, less than 50 percent (minority) electoral voters ever vote. For an election to be ethically right, requirement is that election is open for all that want to contest election and that all eligible voters are allowed to vote (not that voters have voted).

Actually, when opposition realized that whatever they would do, they would lose the election because President has more than 50 percent support, so they got scared to put their candidate and decided not to vote. That was their show of defeat even before election. Only Wajihuddin contested Presidential election and ended up with less than 1 percent of votes. Since President got over 50 percent of the possible votes, it shows that President did not needed deal from anyone to get elected, and if he did any deal than that is not deal but gift, and that gift has different purpose.

[Note: President did not agree with any of BB demands except ONE and that is 'NRO'. Do some thinking about the purpose of that gift].

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

Dude have you paid attention to my signature yet? :hoonh:

Musharraf didn’t do “deal”, rather obeyed his commander… or should I say commandress :cb: He was told to “talk” to Bibi, he did, he was told to make sure that Bibi can come back to Pakistan and she came back with NRO… there are many things which he is told which will come to life with time… Yeah NRO was issued because he felt like rubbing in nation’s face for being the powerful… gift my foot.

Sorry don’t have time to read rest of stuff, I think it is repetition of same in different words trying to convince that Musharraf is great, God Bless Musharraf, God Bless Free Judiciary, God Bless Free Media and what not.

Re: In praise of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

Aab may kiya kah saktaa hoon? Actually I replied to what you mentioned here in my last post … but you missed reading that :).

Anyhow, putting it again here: Why you think that America could dictate Musharraf? What America has in Pakistan that American can offer? Why you think that Musharraf would listen to USA, for what reason? What purpose? Why?

I think that all this belief what you wrote is just people’s imagination based on propaganda as reality on the ground is much different, that is easy to see.