ISLAMABAD: Former president of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf during today’s hearing of high treason case thanked the court and said , “Whatever I did, I did for the country and its people. I am sad that I am being called a traitor,”, claiming that he made Pakistan a respectable country during his tenure. “I honour this court and prosecution, I strongly believe in rule of law I don’t have ego problems, and I have appeared in court 16 times in this year in Karachi, Islamabad and Rawalpindi,” the former president said. Musharraf further stated, “I am being called a traitor, I have been chief of army staff for nine years and I have served Pakistan army for 45 years. I have fought two wars and it is ‘treason’?” “I am not a traitor. For me traitors are those who loot public money and empty the treasury,” he added. I spent a long time in Kargil and enemies have admitted our efforts for country, whether it was traitory, Musharraf said adding that where is the justice of Islamic democratic Pakistan and you judges are the custodian of the justice. Our government has given the prosperity to the masses of the country in our 8 years the country made a significant progress in different fields including industry, socio-economic, information technology, adding that some time I think that it is the fruit of the loyalty with the country and if not so than what is treason, he questioned. To me a person who sells secrets of the country to the enemy is traitor and traitor is that person who laid down his arms before enemy, Musharraf added. I say on oath of my mother and children before the court that I have not taken even a single penny of the country, and during my era no one had dared to offer me a single rupee, Musharraf said adding that in 2008 when we left the powers there were 17 billion US dollars in reserves in State Bank out of which 13 billions US dollars were of the Pakistan’s own reserves now only 3 billion dollars are there in SBP. Where the money has vanished, he added. He said that Sadiq and Ameen members were present in the assemblies at that time and now as well but only me standing before the court, where is the justice of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. I have given something to country not taken, he said. We raised reserves 300 million to 17 billion US dollars and for the first time in the history of the country reduced the loans from 40 billio to 37 billion and dollar was at the rate of 60 ruppee. I provided the prosperity to masses because it was my duty and now masses are demanding elimination of the poverty, increase in per capita income, education and health facilities, Musharraf said. He said that our government in 8 years strengthened the defence of the country as many internal and external threats were present. Al-Khalid Tanks, JF-17 thunder plans, and many other steps had been taken including the testing of the all missiles and it is our pride that all appointments in higher judiciary had been made on merit in my era, he claimed. I can challenge that our 8 years were more heavy that last 60 years according to the social progress in the Balochistan, he given the examples of Gawadar Port, Highways, establishment of 09 universities. To me there is another category of traitors that creates the hurdles in the ways of socio economic progress and same like situation was created in 2007, Musharraf added saying that we were going towards the sky but steps taken by some personalities blocked the way of progress. I have consulted than prime minister and other stakeholders before taking any step and never abrogated the law and constitution. The court heard him with patience and after completion his stance Musharraf seated and thanked the court for giving opportunity to ask some thing. Musharraf has endured a torrid time since returning to Pakistan in March last year on an ill-fated mission to run in the general election. Almost as soon as he landed he was barred from contesting the vote and hit with a barrage of legal cases, including on his decision to raid Islamabad’s Lal Masjid, the killing of a Baloch politician Nawab Akber Bugti and the death of ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto
Posted on: Tue, 01 Apr 2014 16:21:37 +0000