No one should be surprised…except maybe PPP/BB supporters.
Zardari, Gilani, Kayani promised immunity to Musharraf
Tariq Butt
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
ISLAMABAD: While Pervez Musharraf has been formally named by the government in Benazir Bhutto’s assassination case and plans to return to Pakistan to start his politics, all top civilian and military players — Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Asif Ali Zardari and General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani — committed to the US in 2008 to provide him immunity when Washington pushed them hard.
Zardari cited a British anecdote about the Spanish empire and said “tell the most powerful man in the world that there is no way that I would go back on what I have said,” the March 23, 2008 US Embassy Islamabad cable written by Ambassador Anne W Patterson and released by WikiLeaks said covering her separate meetings with Zardari (Aug 23), Gilani (Aug 21) and Kayani (Aug 20) after Musharraf’s resignation and before Zardari’s election as president.
Zardari noted that he already had firmly committed to the US, the UK, and Kayani that indemnity for Musharraf would be forthcoming.
The ambassador wrote that due to the cooperation of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Zardari is “walking tall these days, hopefully not too tall to forget his promise to Kayani and to us on an immunity deal.”
The cable said that ambassador stressed that only the promise of indemnity had persuaded Musharraf to step down as president. “We believed, as we had often said, that Musharraf should have a dignified retirement and not be hounded out of the country.
It said that in separate meetings with Zardari, Gilani and Kayani, ambassador pressed for quick action on immunity for Musharraf. Zardari and Gilani said flatly that they were committed to providing immunity, but not until after the presidential election. “Pushing immunity now, they believed, could jeopardize Zardari’s candidacy. Kayani expressed concern that if immunity becomes tied up with the ongoing debate over the judges’ future, it may never happen. Zardari plans to continue to slow roll action on the judges’ restoration but remains confident that Nawaz Sharif will not walk out of the coalition. Nawaz’s deadlines for action on the judges continue to pass unfulfilled,” the cable said adding that the MQM decision to back Zardari for president has strengthened his hand against Nawaz Sharif, who is left with the option of walking out of the coalition but having little prospect of forcing a new general election in the short term.
Ambassador urged Zardari to do it (immunity) quickly. Zardari said flatly that to do it before he was elected president would lose him votes, but he would do both the legislation and a presidential pardon as soon as he was elected.
According to the cable, Kayani said he took Zardari’s commitments to Musharraf as the most important argument in persuading him to resign. Zardari made very specific commitments to Kayani. Now, for Zardari to delay it makes the army chief look bad within his own institution “and I have to bring the army along with me.”
Kayani also noted that the delay does nothing for Zardari’s reputation for trustworthiness. If this issue gets conflated with the judges and with Zardari’s own desires to be president, it will become too complicated to pass, Kayani said.
Gilani said the PPP was going to provide immunity for Musharraf, but timing was important. They were afraid that putting forward immunity legislation would lose them votes for Zardari’s presidential campaign. Ambassador pressed on this issue, saying that Musharraf would never have agreed to resign without the promise of immunity. Gilani assured ambassador that he and the party did not want vengeance. Regarding immunity, Gilani said, “Many will say that we have done a deal with America, but still I understand that we have to do it.”
Zardari revealed that he also had leverage over Shahbaz Sharif, who through paperwork snafus, had been technically elected illegally for a third term as chief minister. This, too, would have to be resolved in parliament, Zardari said. “So I can give them something they want,” noted Zardari, “that’s what politics is all about.”
After an August 20 meeting with visiting US official Dell Dailey, Kayani asked ambassador to stay behind and discuss his concerns that Zardari was delaying Musharraf’s immunity bill.