Pervez Musharraf

By Kamal Hyder in Asia on October 23rd, 2010
Photo by Reuters

On the surface it may seem like relations between Pakistan and the US could never have been better, but dig deep and you can see the fissures.

Pakistan's civilian leaders may think they are the epitomes of democracy, but there are suspicions about their own credentials and the tailor-made democracy may not be a good fit for the present lot of self-appointed leaders.

If you ask the critics, and cynics, they will tell you the Obama administration is talking to people they hand picked.

Like Asif Ali Zardari, the president of Pakistan, and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)-led government!

After General Pervez Musharraf decided to doff off his military uniform and hand over the presidency  to Zardari, (as agreed under a UK- and US-sponsored deal), Musharraf was given a ceremonial guard of honour.

As a soldier, he wanted an honourable way out, and the deal guaranteed that, even though, according to some critics, "his deeds in serving his nation

By Imran Khan in Asia on November 28th, 2009
Photo by EPA

I woke up this Saturday morning to the sound of what felt like 1,000 preachers all simultaneously announcing the Eid prayer in Islamabad.
 
The early morning wake up call felt fortuitous. The country faces yet another political crisis. Eid for many Muslims is a chance to reflect, to take stock. I wondered what Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan's president, was doing at this moment - whether he was reflecting on his office, on his legacy and Pakistan's murky political climate.  
 
Zardari is under immense pressure. That pressure comes from the NRO, or National Reconciliation Ordinance. The decree, which was introduced in 2007, allowed then-president Pervez Musharraf to allow opposition politicians outside the country to return to Pakistan, free from prosecution on criminal cases lodged against them.
 
Fast forward to today and the deal seems to have backfired.