Musharraf, Bound

The one thing nobody can accuse President Pervez Musharraf of, is being short on words. And we have 368 pages of general-speak 8212; okay, okay, some of it may be ghost-written 8212; to prove this. For this general turn under the strobe lights, publishers Simon and Schuster has spared no effort. An appearance on 8216;60 minutes8217;, a pop-up in the 8216;Today Show8217;, a slot in 8216;The Daily Show with Jon Stewart8217;, and all manner of New York grandees invited to the launch ceremony. Thus does our friendly general next door metamorphose into the toast of Big Apple; thus does yesterday8217;s coup leader emerge as today8217;s favourite dictator. So eat your heart out, Nawaz Sharif.

Notice the Hollywood heading, In the Line of Fire, which recalls Clint Eastwood8217;s In Line with Fire. But the title, we believe, is a bit misleading. The whole point about Musharraf8217;s unique brand of success is that he always found himself 8212; whether by design or by divine intervention 8212; always out of the line of fire. A pink slip from a lawfully elected president turned into a providential putsch. Assassination bids always missed their target by a hair8217;s breadth. Political opposition, when threatened at one point to unseat him, magically melted away. For the seven years since the fateful 1999, Musharraf has lived a charmed existence, helped in part by the 9/11 moment which saw him being projected as a crucial actor in the war against terror.

Now that the general has been there, done that; now that he has that juicy million-dollar deal under his belt; now that his heart has been checked by Texas doctors and found to be in great condition, it8217;s the perfect time for him to head back home and turn his attention to things somewhat more substantial. Like actually cracking down on the jehadi camps in his backyard. It could make a great best-seller some day.