Retired Generals expand campaign against Mush (merged)

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
1

Reading from the language used by Gen. Chishti it very clear now that Mushrraf is the most hated person in Pakistan.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gAceiI763WzWFgO-WM5gR-VOgCQQ

Retired Pakistani General leads anti-Musharraf movement

8 hours ago

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan (AFP) — A retired Pakistani General who opposes President Pervez Musharraf said he would “not be surprised” if Musharraf had engineered terror attacks to manipulate his image in the West.

Former Lieutenant General Faiz Ali Chishti heads the influential Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society, which last week issued a blunt open letter signed by more than 100 senior officers calling on Musharraf to quit.

The statement fuelled Western speculation that Musharraf may be losing support in the military following his resignation as army chief in November, a potential blow with parliamentary elections only three weeks away.

**“Musharraf is an intellectually dishonest person. He is a clever ruler, who makes the US and the West believe that they can only effectively deal with Al-Qaeda as long as he is in power,” Chishti told AFP in an interview.

“But what is Al-Qaeda and who are Taliban? I will not be surprised if this clever ruler is behind all suicide attacks,” he said.**

Pakistan has been buffeted by more than 50 suicide attacks in the past year, culminating in the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto on December 27, which led to planned January 8 general elections being delayed.

The government blames Bhutto’s killing on an allegedly Al-Qaeda-linked tribal warlord, Baitullah Mehsud, but many of Bhutto’s supporters have accused the government or parts of the military of involvement.

Musharraf, who seized power in a coup in 1999, has rejected those claims, and last week he angrily brushed aside the calls for his resignation by Chishti and the other generals.

“They are insignificant personalities,” Musharraf told the Financial Times in an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“Most of them are ones who served under me and I kicked them out… They are insignificant. I am not even bothered by them.”

In another interview with the BBC he said that the retired officers had no clout with today’s 500,000-strong, nuclear-armed military.

But Chishti – a former federal minister and the one-time corps commander for Rawalpindi, a key post in the Pakistani army – urged current and former servicemen to push for change.

“My request as head of the society, is that retired General Pervez Musharraf should also step down as President,” Chishti said.

“We request all ex-servicemen and even those, who are in uniform to vote for persons, who are fit to do something for this country and people.”

Chishti himself is no stranger to military rulers, having supervised the imposition of martial law in July 1977 in Pakistan. He went on to become a close associate of late dictator General Zia-ul-Haq.

But he said that the situation now was different, partly because of Musharraf’s close ties to Washington.

“Musharraf is in league with the US and the West for the sake of his own survival. The majority of Pakistanis feel he… has been taking illegal, unconstitutional and unlawful actions for his survival,” Chishti said.

He rejected Western “propaganda” about Musharraf being able to safeguard Pakistan’s nuclear weapons from Islamic extremists, saying it was the army’s job.

“Is he carrying these nuclear weapons in his pocket? The answer is no,” he said.

Chishti also accused Musharraf of “taking sides” and campaigning for the former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q party ahead of the elections on February 18.

The government meanwhile has rejected the ex-servicemen’s claims.

Information Minister Nisar Memon told state media that their demands for Musharraf to resign were unconstitutional, adding that he was “dismayed” by their “lack of understanding of national issues.”

2

Re: Retired Pakistani General leads anti-Musharraf movement

This Gen Chishti
:omg: Yeah right!
And Look who’s talking!

Oh brilliant idea really! Why didnt the nation think of that before? Only problem is them “**persons who are fit to do something for this country and people” **dont grow on trees, and we have a famine of sorts if it is a crop.

:rolleyes:
He ate the same puding with Zia, and now just because he gets no exserviceman job this…

3

Re: Retired Pakistani General leads anti-Musharraf movement

Musharraf, Chisti, Zia all are at the same level, corrupt and incompetent.

4

Re: Retired Pakistani General leads anti-Musharraf movement

LoL Pot calling the kettle black! Chisti and his Ameer Zia-ul-Haq were not in league with the US for their survival and did not have close ties with Washington? They did not take illegal, unconstituional and unlawful actions in their Martial Law?

He can talk about taking sides? This is the same general Chisti that is/was the godfather of creating Nawaz Shareef as a politician and a minister!

5

Re: Retired Pakistani General leads anti-Musharraf movement

the fact that jehadi sympathising senior ex-armywallahs are getting khujlee is over musharraf is a very good indication that musharraf has made decent progress in purging jehadi sympathisers within the army. i would be more concerned in fact if these clowns were supporting musharraf.

6

Re: Retired Pakistani General leads anti-Musharraf movement

Retired generals have invited Musharraf to speak to them, the names of some of the others who Musharraf described as insignificant include former COAS Kakar.

Retired generals invite Musharraf to their meeting

Wednesday, January 30, 2008
By Umar Cheema

ISLAMABAD: The retired generals, who President Musharraf described as ‘good for nothing’, have invited General (retd) Pervez Musharraf and many others to their next meeting on Thursday.

“We invite you as General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, along with your star-studded team of ex-servicemen to join us. Honour us with your presence and give us your wisdom so explicitly being expressed,” a letter co-authored by many said.

Instead of Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Ali Chishti, the Thursday’s meeting is being presided over by a respected ex-serviceman, Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan.

A PML-Q leader and the oldest ex-serviceman who had drafted the resignation of Maj-Gen Askandar Mirza when Gen Ayub had toppled him, Lt-Gen (retd) Majid Malik has also been invited.

**Others prominent ex-servicemen invited are Air Marshal (retd) Noor Khan, Lt-Gen (retd) Ali Quli Khan, former COAS Gen (retd) Wahid Kakar and Gen (retd) Aslam Beg, and former admirals like Sharif Ahmad, Fasih Bokhari and Fazil Janjua and others. **

Lasagna or Biryani?
7

Retired Generals expand campaign against Mush

Its never too late to say sorry…

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=12627

Retired generals to seek apology from nation

By Umar Cheema

ISLAMABAD: Several high-profile retired generals, air marshals and admirals, who have asked President Musharraf to resign, have announced to seek an unqualified apology from the Pakistani nation for imposing martial laws in the past, abrogating the Constitution several times and not letting democracy flourish in the last 60 years.

They would make this admission of guilt today (Thursday) at a press conference with a request for forgiveness from the people of Pakistan, who have been suffering at the hands of dictatorship for the role played by them and their successors. They have also invited General (retd) Pervez Musharraf to attend the meeting.

But surprisingly despite their apology, which would be a welcome and refreshing departure from the norm, these adventurous generals and admirals of the past are not showing enough moral courage. They have given the task of seeking the apology to a retired brigadier, Mehmood Qazi. “I will apologise on the behalf of all the ex-servicemen for the past misdeeds,” Qazi told The News.

He is the convener of the meeting to be presided over by Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan, a man whose role against Zulfikar Ali Bhutto is well known. The first speaker of Thursday’s meeting will be Lt. Gen. Abdul Majid Malik, a gentleman who was a major in 1956 when he drafted a resignation which General Ayub Khan forced President Iskandar Mirza to sign.

Malik has been a strong Musharraf supporter until the graduation clause for contesting the NA elections was introduced, leaving no option for him but to take a ‘principled’ stand. Discriminatory treatment meted out to him by the PML-Q leadership further pushed him into the ex-generals’ camp.

His speech will be followed by Mirza Aslam Beg, a former Army chief, whose political ambitions had forced the then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan to nominate the new Army chief three months prior to Beg’s retirement. His role in the famous Mehran Bank scandal and misuse of ISI funds for electoral/political manipulation is still fresh in public memory. His then DG ISI, Lt. Gen. (retd) Asad Durrani, who had distributed Rs.140 million to win over ‘for-sale’ politicians never felt ashamed of his role or offered an apology.

After consuming two ambassadorial positions for four years during the Musharraf regime, Durrani has plenty of time now to criticise Musharraf. Lt Gen (retd) Hamid Gul, former DG ISI, is yet another activist who never thought very high of any civilian prime minister. As master spy, he employed all the dirty tricks to dislodge Benazir Bhutto’s first government. These days he can count the damage that the Army’s political role could incur on the political fabric of the society.

Another ex-serviceman and sitting President Gen. (retd) Pervez Musharraf was probably right in using the term “good for nothing generals” for some of these ex-serviceman. However, this correspondent came to realise the truth of Musharraf’s words only recently when he was handed over a letter addressed to Musharraf for publication.

Initially, none of these generals was ready to name himself as the author of the letter, including those who had authored it. Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan, who had approved the draft of this letter, refused to acknowledge it when contacted. A ghost author and the convener of today’s meeting, Brig. (retd) Mehmood Qazi, shifted the responsibility to others, including Gen. Hamid Gul, who was reluctant to own it. He rang up this correspondent to clarify that he had not written it. However, by that time the letter had gone into print.

Brig. (retd) Mehmood requested this correspondent that his name should not be identified. Other co-authors also made the same request, fearing that Musharraf could retaliate.

The truth dawned upon this scribe by accident when he overheard Brig. (retd) Mehmood talking to his colleagues. He was admitting that he gave wrong names to the media. He was heard disclosing to his colleague that the letter was initially written by him and he had used unprintable language.

Mehmood told his colleagues that many ex-servicemen raised objections to his writing and sought a correction. Asghar Khan later formed a committee to redraft the letter, which was subsequently approved by him before it was sent to the press.

When confronted with these facts, Mehmood did not admit that he was sharing the real story of the letter with his colleagues, which this correspondent overheard. Mehmood, however, admitted that Gen. Hamid Gul was not the co-author of the letter and admitted that he wrongly included his name among the list of the authors. Mehmood instead said there was serious resentment shown by the co-authors, who were of the view that Gul’s name must not be passed on to the press, as he was a controversial figure.

8

Re: Retired generals to apologize to the nation for imposing martial laws in the past

Are they going to return wealth generated in those martial laws?

^KAASH^
9

Re: Retired generals to apologize to the nation for imposing martial laws in the past

This is called Nau so choohay kha k billi chali haj ko

10

Re: Retired generals to apologize to the nation for imposing martial laws in the past

Whatever has happened is of no concern now. I suggest all serving army officers to disobey the orders which are against the constitution of Pakistan. Instead of retired army officers, I suggest that serving army officers should come forward and decide not to become part of any coup and marshal law in future.

Kasauti Reloaded - I
11

Re: Retired generals to apologize to the nation for imposing martial laws in the past

Thats asking for too much, but lets us hope and pray that it happens.

http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=93820

Army on the constitutional mend?
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Nasim Zehra

In the recent weeks the new army chief, General Ashfaq Kayani, has made noteworthy statements and taken meaningful actions. These have ranged from the issuance of command communiqués calling upon all the officers to stay away from politics to an ISPR statement emphasizing that the Election Commission, and not the army, is constitutionally mandated to “supervise” the elections. The army’s role in the elections, according to the press release, will be to maintain law and order only, which the constitution allows in case a civilian government calls in the army to perform that task. The current army leadership is cognizant of the security situation and recognizes the relevance of the broader political and foreign policy context in which it must tackle the problem of terrorism.

To some extent there is déjà vu to this realization within the army brass. After long stints of military rule the army’s prestige and popularity will always take a dip. For example the general’s attempt to resurrect the army’s image is no different from General Aslam Beg’s 1988 attempt to clear the army’s image in the immediate aftermath of Pakistan’s longest serving and most destructive military dictator, General Ziaul Haq. Twenty years later in 2008, in a different political and security context the army’s image has taken a greater pounding.

To play an effective role in tackling internal security problems the army needs to resurrect its professionalism, salvage its controversial public image, return to playing its constitutional role and above all, visibly detach itself from the current political power struggle.

The army’s public image suffered because of many reasons: one, the high-profile and direct involvement of uniformed individuals in politics; two, the institutional power struggle involving for example the judiciary versus the presidency and the military agencies; three, the induction of uniformed individuals in civilian institutions, including highly politicized institutions like the National Accountability Bureau; four, the sudden surge of lucrative defence housing schemes with the allegation of uniformed individuals privately involved in land scams.

Also the fact that the current crisis emanating from extreme violence in politics is generally viewed, among other reasons, as a result of militaristic foreign policy options pursued by the military rulers. Specifically, this includes Pakistan’s Afghan policy of the eighties and its current policy on the war on terrorism. While in both cases Pakistan’s involvement was necessary, the criticism is on the extent and the manner in which Pakistan chose to partner with the US on the Afghanistan issue and the ‘war on terror.’ Interestingly, the additional dimension to the criticism of Pakistan’s post-9/11 policy is that while it should have greatly banked on people’s support, the public bitterly criticize the policy.

While Musharraf’s Iraq policy and its handling of the AQ Khan nuclear crisis has been commendable, it is not a military-led regime that can claim it has done any better than the elected governments of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. Instead there is now public consensus that in going beyond their constitutional mandates and taking the country towards linear foreign policy prescriptions, often under Washington’s pressure or due to their own inability to fully comprehend the complexity of foreign affairs, military regimes and leaderships contribute to the weakening the state and society.

All these factors have contributed to the further decline, which was initiated in the eighties, of public respect that the army traditionally enjoyed. The high point of public resentment was perhaps the role played by the agencies in the removal of the chief justice and earlier in the extreme step taken in the killing of Nawaz Akbar Bugti.

Musharraf, who in the last eight years ruled the country as an army chief with junior political and technocratic civilian partners, has become controversial. Despite taking off his uniform he is seen as an extension of the army. Meanwhile the present army chief is viewed by his former commander i.e. President Musharraf as both a competent commander but also loyal to him. Reportedly in Davos during a Jan 25 session sponsored by Institutional Investor, he said: “His loyalty to me is personal.” The compulsions of personal loyalty are often washed away by the force of circumstances.

For Kayani the healthy recovery of his institution must trump all other considerations. That is his constitutional mandate. The steps that he will be required to take include the withdrawal of the army from civilian institutions. The army has already announced internal reforms, including the extension of benefits to the jawans and their families, housing and educational schemes. Therefore, 2008 has been declared as the year of the jawan.

All the institution-specific steps notwithstanding, the army cannot manage a healthy recovery without extricating itself from politics. One, the army and Musharraf should not be seen as twins. Two, it should distance itself from the coming election and clarify what role it will be playing in the elections, part of which has been done by the ISPR. Three, the new chief should be able to make the changes he wants in the army. Four, the new chief should pullout army officers from civilian institutions. Five, the serving officers in the ISI must not be allowed to dabble in politics. Technically, the ISI’s internal security wing is bound to guard internal security. The army must be advised to return to what its institutional role essentially is with regard to politics. There is an issue of command. While serving armed forces’ officers report to the ISI chief who reports to the prime minister or the chief executive, the actions that these officers take directly impact upon the reputation of their mother institution. That dilemma too requires an answer especially at a time when the army is keen to resurrect its professionalism and public image.

That the president is a key cause of current political unpredictability is only too obvious but as far as the army figures in the issue of Musharraf’s political future it is relevant only insofar it is seen as supporting Musharraf.

The general perception is that the unconstitutional and controversial statements and actions Musharraf takes is because he is seen to be supported by the army; hence the need for the army to change this perception.

Without the military overtly pulling away from politics there can be no possibility of fair and free elections. The army must distance itself and return to playing its institutional role. Beyond this the army has no constitutional mandate in playing a direct and overt role in the current contest between the president and the opposition. That battle will be fought in parliament or in the streets depending on how fairly the elections are conducted. The army’s loyalty is to the constitution and to constitutional governments, and not to individuals. If rigged elections create chaos it will be time for the president to take the brunt. The army must remain neutral in this power play and overtly partisan to the constitution of Pakistan.

The writer is an Islamabad-based security analyst. Email: [email protected]

12

Re: Retired generals to apologize to the nation for imposing martial laws in the past

Lets hope Army can do its actual job properly and stay out of politics, once and for all.

13

Re: Retired generals to apologize to the nation for imposing martial laws in the past

Army is out of politics doing its job fine. Now what's the problem ? President well leave it for next gov. Rightnow the imp thing is elections, let's concetrate on them, instead of jihadi/zia ideaology supporters....

14

Re: Retired generals to apologize to the nation for imposing martial laws in the past

is this first time that army chief has said that army will not take part in politics ?? so many times it has been said, nothing new. what especial has Mush done which stops army to take over the country and rule?

♥*♥*♥*♥*♥ Any body proposed you ? ♥*♥*♥*♥*♥
15

Re: Retired generals to apologize to the nation for imposing martial laws in the past

So the retired Generals want to seek an apology from the nation. Good one. :hehe:

16

Re: Retired Pakistani General leads anti-Musharraf movement

Does this mean President Musharaf's days are numbered? :D

Hello
Hello
17

Re: Retired generals to apologize to the nation for imposing martial laws in the past

:rotfl: such nikal hi jata hai…

Hello
18

Retired Generals expand campaign against Mush

In a move unprecedented in the history of Pakistan, hundreds of senior officers have joined together to save Pakistan from the power hungry dictator and his corrupt partners.

God save Pakistan from Musharraf, Chaudry Shujaat, Altaf and the rest of his corrupt allies

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/06/asia/pakistan.php

Retired generals repeat calls for Musharraf to quit

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: Several hundred retired generals, admirals and servicemen gathered for the third time in two weeks in this military town and demanded the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf.

They had assembled for a seminar, but in an unprecedented public protest Tuesday, a retired army chief, several retired generals and dozens of former servicemen came out onto the main road, chanting and shouting against Musharraf.

Just two weeks after they first assembled on Jan. 22 and wrote a resolution calling on Musharraf to resign, the retired officers’ movement is starting to build momentum and appears poised to take over where the lawyers’ movement, with its main leaders under house arrest, has stalled. The campaign was also to warn the government not to try to interfere in the parliamentary elections on Feb. 18.

The retired officers met Tuesday for a seminar about Kashmir, the territory that Pakistan and India claim, organized by the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen’s Society, which cares for the welfare of retired military personnel, in a hotel near the Army General Headquarters.

The speeches soon turned political, taking aim at Musharraf, blaming him for abandoning Kashmir, stifling an independent judiciary and perpetuating his one-man rule.
“He has messed things up; look at the law and order,” said Lieutenant General Jamshed Gulzar Kiani, a retiree who was the corps commander of Rawalpindi, one of the most important posts in the army, under Musharraf when he was commanding general of the armed forces.

The rash of suicide bombings and the fighting raging in two of Pakistan’s four provinces were the main concerns the former generals raised.

Kiani said that Musharraf gave an elaborate seven-point order of action when he seized power in 1999, but that after eight years he had not delivered on any of them.
“Where is the interprovincial harmony? Where is the law and order? Even the economy is going down with escalating food prices,” he said. “The net result of the eight-year rule is a complete mess-up of the country.”

Another former general, Ali Kuli Khan, who was passed over for the top army job when Musharraf was appointed to it in 1998, expressed his frustration with a cricket term. “We are here to bring the lesson home that you have had enough of an innings,” he said, “and unless you back off, it will not be possible for things to calm down.”

The outbursts, by traditionally loyal and discreet men of the armed forces, represent yet another sign of the growing resentment in Pakistan against Musharraf. His popularity has plunged since last March, when he dismissed the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

The disaffection has grown sharply since Nov. 3, when Musharraf imposed martial law to see through his own election to another presidential term and since the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the opposition leader and former prime minister, on Dec. 27 as she campaigned.

Last month the former servicemen issued a statement urging Musharraf to resign and hand over power to Chaudhry, who has been under house arrest since Nov. 3.

Musharraf, who was in Europe at the time, attacked his detractors. “They are insignificant personalities,” The Financial Times quoted him as saying in an interview at the Davos World Economic Forum. “Most of them are ones who served under me, and I kicked them out.”

Most of the retired officers at the meeting dismissed his remarks by saying that they considered him a junior officer. Kiani, who had served under Musharraf, said the ex-servicemen supporting the movement were now far more than the original 100 who signed a statement last month calling for him to step down.

19

Re: Retired Generals expand campaign against Mush

Since the army has cut its support for him, Mushy is floudering.
Momentum builds for the trouble ahead. That worhless fool Musharraf should leave while he can still save his neck.

20

Re: Retired Generals expand campaign against Mush (merged)

LOL. More lies exposed. :slight_smile:

http://www.dawn.com/2008/01/24/nat17.htm

Some officers deny backing anti-Musharraf resolution.

ISLAMABAD, Jan 23: Some of the retired armed forces officers, who were claimed by the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society to have been among the signatories of a resolution urging President Pervez Musharraf to step down, have distanced themselves from the resolution.

Brig (retired) Tipu Sultan, while talking to this reporter, denounced the ex-servicemen society. He said most of them had served under military dictatorship and were now posing as democrats.

He said their move was meaningless as they were not opinion makers.

Similarly, another retired officer Rear Admiral Javed Iftikhar said his name was mentioned among the signatories, though he was not even a member of the society.

Rear Admiral Iftikhar claimed that former army chief Gen Aslam Beg and naval chief Admiral Iftikhar Sirohey mentioned in the list as signatories were also not present at the meeting.

Earlier, Dawn had also pointed out that the list issued by the society was flawed as former ISI chief Lt-Gen (retired) Javed Ashraf Qazi, Lt-Gen (retired) Furrukh and Lt-Gen (retired) Qadir Baloch, mentioned in the list, had also not attended the meeting.

These revelations have put the entire exercise on part of the ex-servicemen society, an organisation originally set up for the welfare of retired armed forces personnel, into doubt.

The Random Thread
The Random Thread