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Journalism of Courage
•With reference to your editorial, ‘After 8 years, in general’ , it is very much true that with Musharraf bowing out of office, the Pakistani coalition will have no fig leaf to cover its failure to deliver on promises made to the public during the elections. Now it is worth watching the government’s strategy to combat extremist and fundamentalist forces in the region, and its future cooperation with the US. Moreover, problems between Pakistan and India will continue if it is true that the army has been granted supreme power over security issues by the coalition in the deal to oust Musharraf.
— Satwant Kaur Punjab
Mush misdeeds
• Musharraf has finally been sent packing, after over eight years, after Bhutto’s assassination changed the rules of the game. However, democracy in Pakistan is very weak as it is a nation where dictatorship breeds and the next president will be as corrupt. India should watch political developments across the border carefully. If democracy in Pakistan is to be revived, Musharraf should be tried in court and punished for his misdeeds. That would serve as a lesson to others of his kind.
— S.N. Kabra Mumbai
His woes
• The outgoing dictator, Musharraf, must not be criticised entirely for Pakistan’s current problems. He is not solely responsible for problems of poverty, instability and extremism. He had to juggle between moderates and extremists, who have always dominated Pakistani politics. 9/11 came as a challenge before him when he was forced to accept truck with the US. Nightmares like the Lal Masjid extremism or the Muktaran rape case have constantly marred his presidency. He even faced attempts on his life. Now, following US insistence, Musharraf has been given a way out to avoid further crisis.
— Ashwani Sharma
Ghaziabad
India’s old worries
• A good commando is one who knows when to appear and when to disappear. Musharraf seems to have forgotten the second part of this basic lesson. He captured power with the aplomb of a good commando, maintained an upper hand during his stewardship of Pakistan, but forgot when best to leave the scene. This proved to be his undoing. He stayed on for too long and lost his chance to quit honourably. He may not have been very good for India but his potential replacements do not inspire much hope either.
— R.J. Khurana Bhopal
US exemplum
• Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Unlike this famous quote what corrupted Musharraf was the absolute backing of a superpower: the US. He emerged as the most trusted American ally in its unpopular ‘war on terror’, but the US cut the ground from under his feet when he needed it the most. Here lies a lesson for countries like Saudi Arabia which are under the illusion of US protection. Even India, which has mortgaged its sovereignty by signing the nuke deal, must be cautious now because the US will sacrifice anyone in its own selfish political interest.
— Khan Yasir New Delhi
