Pervez PervMusharraf
... former dictator of Pakistain, who was less dictatorial and corrupt than any Pak civilian government to date ...
's rule of more than eight years. But what is, perhaps, not known are the back-room negotiations that made it possible. There were many actors in the game that manoeuvred Musharraf's departure. Surely the exit was to be dignified under the bargain brokered by the military leadership and Washington and tacitly approved by all major political parties.
Undoubtedly, it was Asif Ali Zardari who shrewdly manoeuvred the endgame; yet a deal could not have been secured without the other two key players — the military leadership and Washington — being on board. The PML-N leadership may not have been involved in the negotiations, but it was certainly in the loop. There was no opposition to a safe passage agreement from any political party.
Although Musharraf's fate seemed to have been sealed by the outcome of the 2008 elections, there was no indication of him stepping down. His confidence stemmed from his delusion of unwavering loyalty from the military leadership and the support of his friend in the White House.