Daily Times

Sir: Every military ruler who ousts a civilian government on the pretext of corruption or bad governance ultimately comes to a point where he is faced with conflict either to continue ruling through the power of a gun or judiciously perceive what the nation wants. If he follows the example of the previous dictators to remain glued to power, he would ultimately face his nemesis. We saw what happened to dictators like Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and Zia-ul-Haq. No one has anything good to say about them. Should the ruler, however, decide the other way he creates respect for himself and history remembers him with gratitude.

President Musharraf has to make a historic judgement either to continue with the “sham” democracy or take into consideration the voice of the people. He should relinquish his post as president and appoint a caretaker government that can hold transparent elections under an independent election commissioner, a neutral judge who did not take oath under the PCO. He should act as a proud and patriotic Pakistani. Sagacity demands that he play a different role from what other dictators have done in the country. He must realise that a country’s strength and resilience lies only in true democracy. That is his only option
DANISH GUL
Islamabad