In most cases, death rings out the final note of the final song. But not for former military dictator General Pervez Musharraf. Nearly a year after he quietly passed away in Dubar and at the culmination of a roller-coaster decade that centred on the political storms brought about by charges on him, the Supreme Court has upheld a prior death sentence awarded in Musharraf’s treason trial by a special court. Amid growing clamour about suitable action as per law against all those sidekicks who had validated the imposition of martial law in 1999, the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s sonorous observations stand tall: we should learn from history. There’s no denying that history was rewritten when a bench that had then shot to the spotlight for its much-touted judicial independence decided to wear blindfolds as its gavel pounded in all directions with the same tenacity.
But if, going by what Justice Faez Isa said, it is important to hold accountable whosoever dares to be a blot on the constitutional landscape, ensuring the wheels of accountability are always in motion should also be regarded vitally important. Of course, the masterstroke would have sounded far more revolutionary had it been against those sitting on bags of ill-gotten money or made headlines for their corruption scandals. The torchbearers of judicial supremacy would have a hard time mustering up the courage to lay their finger on a single shady deal or fraudulent use of the honourable office. At a time when those who are expected to become salvation to our ailing democracy spend their years in power, amassing up personal fortunes, wheeling and dealing influences for money under the table, someone we are trained to loathe as an evil monstrosity does not live up to its disgusting reputation. We, at Daily Times, had called for restraint and introspection when the verdict was announced back in 2019. We urge the civil and military leadership to exercise the same cool-headedness today. A court of law has spoken for the actions of one single individual taken on a specific day. Its decision can have little bearing on whatsoever he did for the sake of Pakistan elsewhere and not, under any circumstances, affect the prestige of his institution. But now that the Pandora’s box is open, are we ready to take the proverbial bull by its horns? Who among Generals Ayub, Yahya and Zia would receive the damning summon next? *