Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf was the tenth President of Pakistan (2001-2008) and the Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army (1998-2007). Musharraf became defacto Head of Government following a bloodless coup d’etat in October 1999, during which the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was overthrown. He appointed himself as President in 2001. A general parliamentary election was held in 2002, but opposition parties were banned and the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam) was the biggest winner.
Musharraf was Chief of Army Staff at the time of Mujahadeen incursions into India from Pakistan administered Kashmir in 1999. Although Pakistan claimed that these were Kashmiri freedom fighters based in Indian controlled Kashmir, later developments showed that they were Pakistani paramilitary soldiers backing up the separatists on the mountain top. After fierce fighting, Pakistani soldiers were pulled back due to pressure from the international community. As the Kargil conflict occurred just after the Lahore Peace Summit earlier that year, Musharraf is often regarded with skepticism in India. Tensions further increased after the Indian parliament terrorist attack in 2001 that led to the 2001-2002 India-Pakistan standoffs, with over a million troops massed along the Line of Control. Relations with India improved after 2004, when Musharraf began a series of talks with India to resolve the Kashmir issue. In June, 2004 both countries also agreed to extend a nuclear testing ban and to set up a hotline between their foreign secretaries aimed at preventing misunderstandings that might lead to a nuclear war.
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, Musharraf sided with the United States against the Taliban government in Afghanistan, despite his previous ties with them. The Bush administration had issued an ultimatum against Musharraf, stating that if it did not support them, then the U.S.A’s relationship with Pakistan would have to end. The message was delivered via a phone call by that Musharraf refers to in his memoir. At the time it was one of the few countries supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Musharraf decided that Pakistan would not be able to survive with the United States as an adversary. Pakistan also risked being endangered by an alliance with the U.S and India if it did not co-operate. Such an alliance was against the strategic interests of Pakistan due to the tensions between India and Pakistan. Such a course meant that he would end up clashing with Islamic militants in his country sympathetic to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. This also increased tensions with neighbouring Afghanistan. Musharraf has been criticized for not doing enough to eliminate extremism from the Pakistani society or to curb the activities of the Taliban. Pakistan has been criticized for having very actively backed the Taliban since 1994 and for having Taliban sympathizers within the military. Musharraf was also criticized for his contradictory statements, through which he sought to get support from both the Western allies as well as the Islamist militants. Musharraf chose to resign in August 2008, after facing impeachment.
