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Musharrafs comrades feeling embarrassed, shy
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=198770
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
By Umar Cheema
ISLAMABAD: Former governors and comrades of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf are extremely embarrassed, apologetic and feel shy of validating or refuting the claims of their former boss.
Former governors either consider the former presidents disclosure about abetting him in taking Nov 3 actions as too dirty a subject to touch upon or simply offer no comments. Musharraf, in an interview last Sunday, claimed he had taken the Nov 3 steps in consultation with nine corps commanders, the then-ISI director-general and the current Chief of the Army staff, the prime minister, cabinet members and governors. He had held his government and the Army as jointly responsible for the Nov 3 action.
A former spokesman of the Shaukat Aziz government denied that the cabinet had prior knowledge of Musharrafs plan of imposing the emergency.Lt-Gen (retd) Ali Jan Orakzai, when contacted for his version on Musharrafs claim of having taken the governors into confidence, said: Its such a dirty subject that leaving it untouched would be a better option.
Orakzai told The News by telephone he would wait for the right moment to speak. Lets see the gravity of the subject. I would record my statement before the court in case summoned on this issue.
When told about Shaukat Azizs statement that he was not consulted on the Nov 3 action, Orakzai, who is living in Rawalpindi, said issuing such statements from abroad is easier than doing so while in Pakistan. Shaukat Aziz can do this as he is living in London. I cant do so.
Orakzais successor in NWFP, Governor Owais Ghani, who was governor of Balochistan at the time the emergency was imposed, was reluctant to come on line in the first place. When he was approached through his military secretary, Ghani responded to the question by simply offering no comments.
Former Punjab governor Lt-Gen (retd) Khalid Maqbool said he had firmly decided not to enter into media controversy on any subject related to the past events occurred during his stint. The Sindh governor could not be reached due to his absence from Pakistan.
However, a former spokesman of the Shaukat Aziz government denied Musharrafs claim and said the ministers opinion was sought in the cabinet-cum-party sitting and on the expected court judgement.
We were unaware about Musharrafs intending plans, he said, requesting anonymity. President Musharraf sought our opinion and perception regarding the incoming decision of the Supreme Court on the eligibility of his candidature, he said. Majority of us opined the verdict would go in his favour. Our opinion drew no explicit response of the president nor were we told about the contingency plan. We only came to know after the Nov 3 action was taken.
Asked whether Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was consulted on the issue, the minister said this did not happen in their presence even if he was brought into the loop. Shaukat Aziz, however, had already rejected Musharrafs claim of having been taken into the confidence.
