“Remember that mindsets can not be changed through force and coercion. No idea can ever be forcibly thrust upon anyone”
Former President Pervez Musharraf took the helm of the state of Pakistan via coup d’etat of 12th October, 1999, by toppling then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who at that time couldn’t handle precarious civil-military relations, and wrong-turn of stripping then Commander-in-Chief Pervez Musharraf while returning from Sri Lanka, which only led to Nawaz Sharif and his entourage deposition as the army and law enforcement of Pakistan was widely loyal and ushered unwavering support to their Commander-in-Chief, and among masses Pervez Musharraf was broadly popular which made the coup bloodless between the populace and army itself. Therefore, he came to power, with the vision inspired by Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk “enlightened moderation” which made him well-admired abroad, regionally and domestically.
With President Musharraf as the new leader of Pakistan, his foreign policy towards ultraconservative Taliban-led Afghanistan was controlling the uncontrollable. Therefore, all attempts were in waters in Afghanistan and Musharraf failed in the same way, just like his precedessors. While in the American sphere, White House disregarded Pakistan, it increased due to the Kargil War of 1999, military takeover by Musharraf, and nuclear bomb testing by Pakistan. With September 9, 2001 attacks in America or famously known as 9/11, America under President Bush called on War on Terror with forcing isolated Pakistan under Musharraf to reassess their policy towards Afghanistan, with Musharraf under pressure to join American alliance, with diplomacy bargaining of only 20 million dollars, to avoid America taking India on its side, alongside to come out of isolation and thereby becoming an indispensable ally of USA. With the commencement of the War on Terror, with American bombardment in Afghanistan, the Taliban government was toppled, and American and their NATO allies with the aim of extermination of Taliban and Al-Qaeda from Afghan soil. With 50,000 Pakistani troops on porous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan and intelligence sharing in Operation Enduring Freedom, many Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters crossover into Pakistan tribal areas, mixing into tribes and towns and due to traditional norms many refused to handover Taliban and its sympathisers to Pakistani military or even American-backed democratic government, and American presence in Afghanistan and their collaboration with Pakistan, only embolden tribal groups to join ranks of Taliban and fight against America, newly formed democratic of Afghanistan, Afghan people, Pakistani forces and NATO allies. During the whole Musharraf era, American relations with Pakistan were at pinnacle, as Musharraf enjoyed cordial and exceptional relations and welcomes by Bush, even referring to Musharraf as “a friend” despite many American Congress against it as he was military man but for national interest was imminent and putting past tensions aside.
President Bush and Musharraf established complicated , “Bush-Mush relationship” and to make Musharraf in-line President Bush even visited Pakistan despite Secret Service warnings due to War on Terror spillovers.
From 2001 to 2008, Pakistan supported unhindered America under President Musharraf with US$30 billion aid packages, mostly military. Pakistan, of course, came out of the shadows of loneliness under this time with extensive cooperation with America, NATO states, and it’s allies. President Musharraf although he got the American support but for more effective support, he appointed Prime Minister’s and removed the clothes of the military to appease America and the Pakistan public and opposition which were inciting people to demand return of democracy. President Musharraf, in the meantime, domestically dealt with liberal reforms within the state by restructuring media of Pakistan, paving old roads, religious liberty, minority reforms, promoting women representation in parliament, introducing laws to clamp down honor killing, opening Pakistan as hub of investments which significantly improved the GDP of Pakistan, development of countryside infrastructure, provincial reforms and making way for many state-sponsored development. There was no dubiety that extremists in Pakistan got inspired by Taliban, and many started acts of aggression such as suicide bombing, foreigners being killed, embassy and hotels being onslaught and such extremist were not single, instead, there were many groups, but one was far infamous than others known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). On July, 2007, President Musharraf signalled Operation in Lal Masjid in Islamabad, where allegedly militancy seminars were carried out from much time, and ‘jihadism’ was fuelled within the students by the fundamentalist who want to establish parallel government in Islamist principles and to deal with this matter to the ground, this operation was conducted where unintentionally 100 people were killed and in the aftermath of that operation, Pakistan witnessed a rapid surge in violent extremism and TTP emerged as a ferocious force to be reckoned in Pakistan. After that operation, President Pervez Musharraf witnessed scathing criticism from clerical circles with opposition using it for their own agenda to criticise the president. Therefore, American pressure to return of democracy and domestic popularity lowering numbers of only 15 percent.
By early 2008, President Musharraf resigned as president in the midst of impeachment, political turmoil, political interference in Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry removal irking protests by lawyers and opposition, unpopular military cooperation with America where 50,000 Pakistani had been killed, thereby bowing to the pressure of public and unfolding the path to democratic elections to be held soon and transitioning the state to democracy. President Musharraf may have been once America’s “favourite Brown man” but when American interest ends and their own agenda comes, they put the person to deal with the chaos on their own. President Musharraf later got revered both domestically as a reformer as there was less corruption, bureaucractic wrangling and internationally as champion of liberal rights, and clashing with terrorist but still many debate his legacy in Pakistan over his state policies and relations with the West and allowing Americans and NATO to have footsteps in Pakistan for their dealing in Afghanistan. Although, many times, former military man called for his return to Pakistan, but his return in 2013, was not met with his expectations, and he was dealt by state very steadfastly with different accusations but Musharraf is still eminent among the masses and hold respectable reputation in Pakistan army.
