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| India-Pakistan |
| Self-Titled Hero |
| 2006-09-30 |
| The general's 'frank' memoir leaves his countrymen unimpressed At the upscale Ferozesons Book Store in Lahore, people invariably head straight for the New Arrivals section. Invariably again, they reach out for the hardbound book, In the Line of Fire—A Memoir, that their president, Pervez Musharraf, has written. The curiosity about the book is incredible—and understandable. Rarely has a head of state chosen to pen his autobiography; and scarcely has an autobiography generated such headlines worldwide as Musharraf's has. Journalism student Jameel Yousaf is sitting cross-legged on the floor of the store and leafing through the book. Its price of Rs 1,295 is beyond him. Jameel's bespectacled friend nudges him and mutters, "It's the same old crap." They think they have already read the more "gripping" sections in excerpts in newspapers. Standing there is retired government official Azam Qureshi, who is curious to know "what lies Musharraf has to offer this time". The problem is, he says, "I can't force myself to spend Rs 1,295 and let that man benefit." The elderly man at the sales counter is jubilant: a thousand copies have flown off the shelves in just two days. But these have been largely through bulk orders placed by the Punjab chief minister's secretariat, the Governor's House and scores of government departments. The old man huffs, "Most of the people who show interest in the book do not buy it. The sale of Musharraf's autobiography is similar to that of President Gen Ayub Khan's Friends, Not Masters." Like Musharraf, Gen Ayub Khan had written his memoir while in office. Soon after its publication in 1969, he abdicated his post saying he did not want to preside over the destruction of Pakistan. His plainspeaking book was addressed to the United States, which, he wrote, had deserted its "most allied ally" after its 1965 war with India. So, what was Musharraf's compulsion to pen his memoir? He provides the reason in the book's preface. "I decided to writemy autobiography after Pakistan took centrestage in the world's conflicts, including the war on terror. There has been intense curiosity about me and the country I lead. I want the world to learn the truth." Analyst Zubeida Mustafa says the 'truth' has brought him in the line of fire of both friends and foes alike. "One can understand why Ayub Khan became an author while governing the country," she adds. His book, after all, sought to promote Pakistan's interests. By contrast, Musharraf seems to have been fired by the desire to glorify himself, to justify his past deeds and bolster his future prospects. As cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan told Outlook, "Musharraf has tried to recast history, the very same way many dictators have tried in the past—to make themselves look good, wise and powerful, to establish themselves as the defenders of their countries." Imran feels the book is typical of an extrovert 'army type' with many a boast of past victories and juicy war stories. "This is part of the book's charm, for it greatly humanises Musharraf." Others like Roedad Ali Khan, a former senior bureaucrat, feel Musharraf has written the book for foreign readers—and not for those at home where he is "thoroughly discredited". The chapter 'The War on Terror', for instance, is designed to inject a sense of relief among Western readers that Musharraf is at the helm of affairs in Pakistan. "He's telling the West that you have to keep me there, if you want to win the ongoing war on terror and you have to allow me to keep my uniform, if you want me to win this war for you," Roedad told a news agency. Most analysts feel Musharraf's book threatens to strain relations with countries like India and the US. Leading political analyst Dr Hasan Askari Rizvi argues, "I don't see any good impact on Indo-Pak relations because of this book; rather it could harm them.His questioning of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's approach to the peace process, his claim that Vajpayee was responsible for the failure of the Agra talks, and his claim that the Kargil war eventually led to the Indo-Pak peace talks are likely to have a negative impact on relations with India." The book has also prompted the US to dub some of Musharraf's claims as sheer exaggeration. The CIA, for instance, has stoutly refuted the contention that Washington paid millions of dollars to Islamabad for taking custody of terrorists apprehended in Pakistan. Cornered, Musharraf tamely suggested that the section on cash-for-terrorist deal needs a "revision".Says Zubeida, "Musharraf has spilled many beans that should not have been spilled at this stage. Not tied by the constraints of a democratic system, he probably feels he doesn't have to worry about the repercussions of his words." Former ISI chief Lt Gen Asad Durrani says he has pondered over the vital question: Does Musharraf's book help Pakistan, its image or its policies? "All that I can conclude is the book only helps one man and that is Pervez Musharraf," Durrani replies.The book has also goaded the Opposition into slamming Musharraf for disclosing state secrets, and spending public money on the launch of his book. The Opposition has demanded a special session of Parliament to discuss these contentious issues. A statement issued on behalf of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif says Musharraf seems to have decided to make some money now that he realises his political demise is near. "The book is nothing more than a pack of lies aimed at rewriting history. The general has lied about the Kargil disaster and the 'illegal coup' he mounted to overthrow an elected government," the statement says. Adds Farhatullah Babar, the spokesman for former premier Benazir Bhutto: "The Musharraf Memoir has set a new and dangerous precedent for the chiefs of air force and navy to record their memoirswhile in service and then take official jets to set out on tour to Europe and America on promotional campaigns. Gen Musharraf's visit to the US was less for promoting national interests and more for boosting the book's sale." Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Asma Jahangir, minces no words either: "In disclosing state secrets in his book Musharraf has violated the President's oath that binds the incumbent of the office to keep the affairs of state secret." But then, you could well ask, since when has Musharraf ever bothered about constitutional propriety. |
| Posted by:john |
| #3 Makes you wonder how contrived these assassination attempts might have been.. |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-09-30 18:55 |
| #2 It's very telling that the only times Musharraf's ever been "In the Line of Fire" is during assassination attempts. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-09-30 16:02 |
| #1 familiarity breeds contempt |
| Posted by: anon 2006-09-30 15:18 |