Pervez Musharraf flew into Pakistan after four years in exile on Sunday and vowed to “save” the country from the turmoil it is facing.
It’s the same word he used when he took charge in a military coup in 1999 – the frequency of its usage dramatically increasing during the nearly nine years he was in power.
Had it not been for him America would have bombed Pakistan “back to the Stone Age”, he claimed in an interview in 2006, taking credit for having “saved” the country from such a calamity by giving his full backing to the “war on terror.”
Among other things he also took credit for “saving” Pakistan’s economy which was on the brink of total collapse when he took over. The irony of ironies is that Pakistan, despite completing five years for the first time under an elected government, is far worse off than it was when Musharraf left the scene. So much so, it needs a real saviour this time.
On Sunday, Musharraf disembarked from an Emirates airline jet at the Karachi airport wearing a traditional kurta and appearing somewhat tired – a far cry from his gung-ho disposition when he was the military chief as well as the president. He nevertheless saluted his supporters military style, but his half-hearted effort hardly evoked any confidence.
It’s a modern-day irony that dictators and politicians feel the compelling need to save their people, whereas in the past such responsibilities were left to saints and prophets. This in itself points to the sorry state of affairs that has gripped parts of the Muslim world.
But even then, Pakistan gives other troubled nations a run for their money for the sheer amount of mindless violence that is generated from its soil. With a wide array of sinister forces threatening to rip the country apart, things are indeed looking bleak. People with the means are flying out in droves and overseas Pakistanis who always hoped to return to invest their resources in their beloved country have been forced to delay their plans once again.
Musharraf’s party, the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), which he formed while dividing his time in exile between London and Dubai, has no mass support. In fact, experts say it would be lucky to win two or three seats in the May elections.
Whether Musharraf himself will contest a seat is doubtful considering the plethora of cases against him in the courts. Militant outfits have threatened to kill him, the Taliban releasing a video showing its cadres in military style uniforms practicing their shooting and fighting skills in preparation of their “divine” mission.
“I have been ordered by my people to come back and save our Pakistan, even at the risk of my life. I want to tell all those who are making such threats that I have been blessed by Allah the Almighty,” Musharraf said in response to the threat.
Unfortunately for him, very few seem to be convinced this time.