Pervez Musharraf – The One Man Army

With ancestors holding important government offices during the British rule, Pervez Musharraf was born in Delhi in August 1943. With a service tenure of 46 years, Musharraf is a retired four-star general of the Pakistan Army. Furthermore, he also worked as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and the 10th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Not forgetting, the 10th President of Pakistan too. Musharraf in all means, has acted as a focal point in the pages of Pakistani history. Taking over the administration in a military coup in October 1999, he headed the military government up to August 2008.

In the Military

Musharraf was one excellent performer at the Royal College of Defense Studies in Britain where he studied for a year. The thesis he submitted was titled as ‘Impact of Arm race in the Indo- Pak subcontinent.’ The teacher who attended to his thesis described Musharraf as a valuable asset to the RCDS. His course mates therein included Ali Kuli Khan from the Pakistan army and Ashok Mehta from the Indian. His first battlefield was the 1965 Indo-Pak war. After which he served in the elite SSG from 1966 up to 1972. He was the company commander of an SSG commando battalion during the 1971 war with India. He later continued to excel in several military assignments and rapidly gained promotions within.

Awards

• Nishan e Imtiaz
• Tamgha e Basalat
• Imtiazi Sanad
• Order of Al-Saud

Wars/skirmishes Under his Regime

• Indo-Pak war of 1965
• Indo-Pak war of 1971
• Siachen Conflict
• Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The Administration of Gen. Musharraf

Comprising of civilian and military appointees, a National Security Council was formed to run Pakistan. In early 2001, an attempt was made to negotiate an agreement with India over the Kashmir issue. In an attempt to root out extremists in the Afghan-Pakistan border region, close ties with the US were formed. All due to the efforts of Musharraf. He restored the constitution in 2002 and for another five years, extended his term as president. Over the next several years, he survived a number of assassination attempts.

Achievements of Gen Pervaiz Musharraf

While both in and out of uniform, the achievements on the part of Musharraf cannot be forgone that easily. It was during his tenure that Pakistan was ranked third in world banking profitability. The literacy rate was improved by 11 percent with several universities set up which included 9 world class engineering institutes. Copper and gold deposits were found and mega projects in mining were pursued. Gawadar was made as an advanced sea port and four dams were built. The industrial sector registered a growth of 26 percent and poverty decreased by 10 per cent. Pakistani economy stepped up to being the third fastest growing economy back then. A historic 100 per cent tax collected was observed, which amounted to Rupees 1 trillion. All done under the watchful eye of Musharraf himself.

The Economic Legacy

Despite various conflicts, there is a general agreement that Musharraf left Pakistan’s economy in much better shape than how he had received it. This is all due to his structural reforms and strict economic management. The tax base and government revenue collection more than doubled, and so did the GDP. Pakistan’s debt then stood at 56% of GDP, as compared to 99% in 1999.

In our opinion, amongst the many services done to the nation, heading the army like none ever could be probably his greatest achievement. His repute as a general was well made in the international world. Better off in the words of his thesis professor from RCDS, ‘His country is lucky enough to have the services of a man of this undeniable quality.

Death:

Former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf passed away in a Dubai hospital at the age of 79, he was undergoing treatment for an ailment at American Hospital Dubai.