Is Pervez Musharraf Today’s Hitler? Essay Example

He also pursued a media management certificate course in Delhi and was recognized for his proficiency in mathematics during his time in school ("Pervez Musharraf" 1). Afterward, he tied the knot with Begum Sehba from Okara, and they have a son named Bilal who is presently pursuing a master's degree at Stanford University while working in Silicon Valley.

Ayla Raza is an architect residing in Karachi and the daughter of Pervez Musharraf and his wife. The couple has four grandchildren, two from each of their children. On October 12, 1999, there was a bloodless coup de'tat that resulted in Musharraf becoming the Head of Government of Pakistan. Shariff had attempted to dismiss Musharraf and replace him with Khwaja Ziauddin from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). However, as Musharraf was out of the country at that time, he had to return via jet to Pakistan.

Karachi airport was instructed by Shariff to shut down and delay the landing of Musharraf's plane. It had to circle around the airport while Shariff's administration was overthrown by the generals who also took control of the airport. The plane eventually landed with only a few minutes of fuel left, and Musharraf became the new leader in charge. Shariff was placed under house arrest and later exiled, where he stayed until November 25th, 2007. According to "Musharraf, The Indispensable Ally, Grows More Confident," senior Army Generals regarded Shariff's dismissal as unconstitutional.

The President of Pakistan before Musharraf, Rafiq Tarar, held office until June 2001. Musharraf became President on June 20, 2001, shortly before his scheduled visit to Agra for discussions with India. As a result of this disagreement, Shariff and other leaders were

prevented from entering Pakistan afterwards. The disagreement between Musharraf and Shariff centered on the Prime Minister's efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the Kashmir conflict with India.

Following Musharraf's takeover, there were court petitions challenging his assumption of power. However, the Oath of Judges Order 2000 was issued, requiring judges to pledge allegiance to military rule and promise not to make decisions that would go against it. Some judges refused and resigned in protest. The Pakistani Supreme Court later ordered Musharraf to hold national elections by October 12, 2001, which took place early that year.

In a bid to validate his presidency and secure its longevity following the impending reinstatement of democracy, a referendum was conducted by Musharraf on April 30, 2002 to prolong his term to five years after the October elections. However, the referendum was shunned by most Pakistani political parties, who subsequently alleged that the vote was substantially manipulated. Musharraf subsequently offered apologies for discrepancies in the poll on national television. The October 2002 general elections saw the pro-Musharraf party, Pakistani Muslim League, securing more parliamentary seats.

The leader of Pakistan created a majority coalition with independent supporters and allies, including the peaceful Mohajir Quami Movement (MQM) ("Pakistan's Leader Faces Increasing Political Challenges" 1). A favorable agreement was reached in December 2003 between Musharraf and Muttuhida Majlis-e-Amal, a coalition of six Islamic parties. Musharraf agreed to resign from the army by December 31st, 2004 with the help of this party's support. With their backing, pro-Musharraf legislatures were able to achieve the necessary 2/3 super-majority to pass the 17th amendment. This retroactively legalized his 1999 coup and subsequent decrees. Opposition parties to

Musharraf's presidency successfully hindered the National Assembly for more than a year ("Pakistan's Leader Faces Increasing Political Challenges" 2).

After Musharraf took charge, he transferred some of his authority to the recently elected Parliament. This led to the appointment of Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali as Prime Minister by the National Assembly, who then picked his own cabinet members. Nevertheless, in late 2004, Musharraf went back on his word with the MMA and enacted a law that allowed him to hold both positions with backing from pro-Musharraf lawmakers in Parliament ("Pakistan's Leader Faces Increasing Political Challenges" 4). At the start of his rule, Musharraf pledged to eradicate corruption within government without delay.

Despite having been in power for a number of years, Musharraf's regime has been criticized for not doing enough to fight corruption and even exacerbating the issue. Additionally, there have been allegations that military personnel involved in corrupt activities are not being held responsible due to government influence ("Pakistani Sets Emergency Rule, Defying the U. S." 3). As per Transparency International's survey, the Pakistani public views Musharraf's first and second terms as more corrupt than those of his predecessors Bhutto and Shariff while they were leading Pakistan.

According to a poll conducted by Dawn News, Indian Express, and IBN, many believe that corruption in Pakistan has increased and was at its highest during Musharraf's reign ("Pakistani Sets Emergency Rule, Defying the U. S." 5). The privatization of the Pakistan Steel Mills Corporation is one example of this as it was sold for an insignificant amount despite being valued at 15.2 billion dollars.In 2007, it was reported that Pervez Musharraf's administration spent millions of dollars to obtain

legal representation for their various legal battles. The prior government had been accused of corruption, which allegedly led to the Pakistani Army granting land deeds and lavish lifestyles to its officers. While serving as president, Musharraf survived an assassination attempt in Rawalpindi in 2003 when a bomb exploded near his convoy. Fortunately, a jamming device in his limousine prevented remote control explosives from damaging the bridge he was crossing over. Despite this incident and opposition from many Pakistani citizens, Musharraf remained in power until his resignation in 2008.

There were numerous attempts to assassinate Pervez Musharraf, including a December 2003 incident where two suicide bombers used car bombs in an effort to kill him. Regrettably, this caused the death of 16 innocent bystanders. Thankfully, Musharraf only suffered a minor injury as his car window cracked. The attacker responsible for the assault was identified as Amjad Faraqi and was pursued by Pakistani forces until he was killed in 2004 ("Pervez Musharraf" 6-7).

On July 6, 2007, during an attempted assassination on Musharraf's plane as it was taking off from a runway in Rawalpindi, a submachine gun was fired. Two unused anti-aircraft guns were later recovered by security forces. Following the incident, on July 17, 2007, Pakistani police detained 39 people who remain held at an undisclosed location by a joint team of Punjab Police, FIA and other intelligence agencies in Pakistan ("Musharraf May Resign Presidency" 1). Recently considering resigning from the presidency of Pakistan for the good of the nation is Musharraf.

Dr. Mohammad Zubair Khan, a former Commerce Minister, asserts the necessity of Musharraf's departure to prevent further destabilization in Pakistan. Despite the public demand for

his resignation, there is fear among many locals that it could result in economic troubles. In interviews, Musharraf conveyed his inclination towards finding an honorable way out of his presidency instead of abruptly vacating parliament with two crucial positions left unfilled within a limited timeframe (“Musharraf May Resign Presidency” 1).

To sum up, rather than addressing corruption in Pakistan, Musharraf's control since 1999 has actually exacerbated it. The very issues he hoped to improve have become even more prevalent than during the administrations of Shariff and Bhutto. It would be beneficial for Pakistan if Musharraf resigned from both the roles of President and Prime Minister without delay.