Musharraf is a short hand for Pakistan

Bush administration has used Musharraf as a short hand for Pakistan.  He personifies Pakistan to these guys.  Its another matter that nobody (or very few) in Pakistan think so! 🙂

Musharraf has been an enigma.  He was at his best when he was combative.  Specially against India.  He is brash and outlandish in his goals.. but that is his strength.  His Kargil intrusion plan was one such thing.  He believed in a strategy and thought he could pull it off and somehow he thought the Indian Government and forces will be easy pushovers.  There was a reason why India won the last two wars and despite the Nukes and large amount of ammunition coming to Pakistan in the last two decades, I find it still outlandish for any Pak General to think he could pull such a thing off.  But he almost did – given his persistence!

The same attitude was shown in Agra.  He managed to get a covert televization of his conference with the journalists when it was made clear to those journalists that it was a closed door thing.  When the Indian side came to know of the live telecast that it swung into action and stopped the thing.  IT was right after that point onwards that the Vajpayee-Musharraf talks broke down irretrievably.  Sushma Swaraj came out and made the statements that simply closed any path forward.  It was a simple but telling step to Musharraf’s stupid action.

In Pakistan also he was tried such outlandish stuff and has lost his credibility.  When he came to India despite Kargil, Vajpayee wanted to talk to him but when he was going Vajpayee hardly said anything.  He had lost all his credibility.  Its the same pattern here as well.  As a soldier also he is pretty indisciplined and not always a good example for a force that may want to have pride in its professionalism.  I still remember his picture with a cigarette in his mouth while he is trying to shoot in the air with a pistol.. IN UNIFORM of a General!  No Indian General would even dare be caught like that!  There is a decorum to a post and a uniform.. and Musharraf has not really cared about that much.

Wonder where is Pakistan headed now with the masses against him and US trying its best to keep him there.  It will be a long road for Pakistan that seems very similar to Iran’s path from Shah to Ahmednijad.  I am betting that Pakistan will become more and more Islamic in the coming days and that means rule of Sharia etc. and the hyprocrisy that comes with it (just like in Iran and Talibanized Afghanistan).  So it will become unbearable for many to really live properly.