Daily Times

Sir: The retired General Musharraf is a professional soldier of the Pakistan Army. He has said himself that he is committed towards saving the integrity of the Pakistan Army and the country. It is the responsibility of the Pakistan Army to protect its former chief of army staff, who spent a number of years in the army and then served the country as its president, not like a politician but for the welfare of the people of Pakistan. I believe that Pakistan’s economic growth and political stability were exemplary during General Musharraf’s rule. General Musharraf empowered the people at the grassroots level and held the local bodies elections, which are a foundation for real democracy. It is ironic that the political governments are always ignoring and not encouraging grassroots democracy by not holding the local bodies elections. Politics in Pakistan mostly consists of personalised allegiance to a party and is often nothing more than the allegiance to a powerful individual because Pakistan is a feudal society where, from the beginning, the feudals have wielded power.

Therefore, it all depends on General Musharraf and the All Pakistan Muslim League’s (APML) success in the elections; we will see how many feudal, political families are prepared to join his party and support him. General Musharraf has eight years experience when it comes to ruling the country and addressing its problems according to my belief. I think he is the most suitable person to lead Pakistan at this time.

S T HUSSAIN

Via e-mail