P.M Sharif must allow the law to take its course.. The Musharraf treason case is critical to tactfully show the military establishment its place. Pakistan should celebrate the success it has had in returning to a constitutional government. It has held one general election, and seen that government complete its full term and hand over power to another democratically- elected government. The return to prime ministerial rule also reduced the overbearing authority of the president, and returned Pakistan to a more transparent and inclusive system of governance. So far, the military has accepted its reduced role, and the courts have exercised slightly more temperate use of their powers to oversee the elected government. Therefore, it is a surprise that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ordered officials to start an investigation into treason charges against former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf, looking specifically at his decision to declare a state of emergency and suspend the constitution in 2007. The surprise is that Musharraf is not being investigated for what seem to be more fundamental charges of seizing power in a military coup in 1999, and reworking the constitution to suit his own purposes. It is possible that Sharif’s new government may want to avenge his toppling in a coup, but does not want to go into the details of the coup since that would lead to a direct clash with Pakistan’s powerful military. If the government takes its investigation as far as the courtroom, and if Musharraf is found guilty, then the institution of the civilian prime minister will have asserted its justified authority over the military establishment in a very blatant manner.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Jun 2013 10:17:22 +0000
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