Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/NEW YORK: Electronic and print US media paid tributes to former President Pervez Musharraf, who passed away on Sunday in Dubai, as an American ally in the war against al-Qaeda, but mentioned that he faced “growing resistance in Pakistan in a nation seething with anti-Western passions.”
Since the news of his passing broke over the weekend, the State Department has yet to issue a statement. Still, the newspapers and television stations prominently featured the story and emphasized his contribution to the fight against terrorism.
US media on Musharraf
The New York Times wrote in a complete font page story that Musharraf “offered the world the adventurous image of a former army warrior and ally of the United States who assured a measure of regional stability in the upheaval after 9/11 and the following United States attack on Afghanistan” from the time he assumed power in late 1999 in a bloodless coup to his resignation and self-exile in 2008 under threat of impeachment.
Another leading newspaper, The Washington Post, wrote, “The terrorist attacks of 9/11, and the America-led invasion of Kabul forced General Musharraf to choose between its alliance with the Afghan Taliban and U.S.’s demand for their assistance in the war on terrorism. Musharraf’s decision to side with the West was unpopular in the country and helped fuel extremist Islamist groups that have ever since terrorized Pakistan.”
The same point was highlighted by The New York Times, saying, “America’s demands for strict action against Islamist militancy collided with competing pressures from Pakistani Muslims who were resentful of his close relations to the U.S.”
According to the Times, “his efforts to promote secularism in a nation where religious radicals commanded broad influence and to maintain a measure of democracy while reigning as an authoritarian gained him few friends and a growing roster of foes.”
President George W. Bush‘s patience, who had once referred to him as a “courageous leader and friend of the United States,” was running out by the time he suspended the Constitution and imposed emergency rule in late 2007, according to Times’ Correspondents Alan Cowell and Stephen Kinzer in a joint dispatch.
The report said, “Yet even in exile, he kept to see himself as a potential savior.”
‘In 2001, as Washington prepared to attack Afghanistan, General Musharraf tried to reach a peaceful settlement. After his unsuccessful attempts, he sided with the United States and supported their drive to remove the Taliban from power.
“Musharraf also sought to resolve the Kashmir conflict peacefully. He frequently met with Indian officials and agreed with them on how to ease tensions. In 2004, the two countries played their first cricket match in 15 years before a thrilled television audience of several hundred million.”
The Washington Post raised a point that his coup was welcomed in Pakistan but condemned globally, noting, “Musharraf, who was 56 at the time, had a mystical appearance. He was a professional army officer who served in the expertly trained Special Services Group and had several posts. He opposed what he called “fake democracy,” the elitism of civil politics. He was an admirer of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the army leader who established modern Turkey, and the educated son of a diplomat and a moderate Muslim.
“When he was in charge, General Musharraf laid out a sweeping reform agenda. He tried to depoliticize state institutions, make government accountable, tackle social ills, revive the economy, and curb religious exploitation by Islamic fundamentalists.
“General. Musharraf made progress in turning around the country’s debt-ridden economy. But many of his goals faced strong religious, social, or bureaucratic resistance or were sacrificed for a political career. He backed off on plans to criminalize ‘honor killings’, modernize seminaries, and modify laws that punished victims of rape.” — APP
