General Pervez Musharraf was President of Pakistan for 10 years(19998-2008). He had joined the Army and appeared to be a man without political ambition. This was the reason he was made the Chief of Army Staff by Nawaz Shariff,by superseding 6 Generals. It is history that he overthrew Nawaz and became President of Pakistan.
Though Musharraf had not much of a distinguished record as an Officer in the Army, his stint as President was remarkable. In fact I will stick my neck out and say that after Jinnah he was the one man who gave a direction to Pakistan away from the path of sectarianism and Militant Islam.
I remember Musharraf speaking in a nationwide televised address after the attack on the twin trade towers in New York. It was refreshing to hear him say the why cant there be a jihad against poverty education etc ? These were brave words and the first by a Pakistani after Jinnah.
He also helped the fabric of Pakistan by insuring that the minorities were not trampled. It was during his term as President that a Sikh joined as an officer in the Pakistan Army. An unheard of proposition earlier. More important he advocated a solution to the Kashmir issue by saying that extreme positions of both sides( India and Pakistan) be discarded and a solution found. It is a pity that the Indian government failed to see the logic of Musharraf's idea. In fact this was the only way forward.
I have no doubt that Musharraf was the best thing to happen to Pakistan.It is a pity he had to go and Pakistan and India are the poorer for it. History will record that after Jinnah , Musharraf blew in a breath of fresh air in Pakistan and I certainly admire him for it.
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