ISLAMABAD, Nov 28: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz group on Wednesday issued a fact-sheet comparing the performance of political leaders with the army generals who ruled the country during the past 53 years.
“The pranks during the 26-month unconstitutional rule of General Pervez Musharraf show that he has left his predecessors miles behind,” said the statement alleging that he has committed a series of blunders.
“Certainly, some politicians during their limited and patch rule committed some mistakes. But, their mistakes are negligible as compared to their achievements. On the contrary, some generals in their long, uninterrupted and stable rule also took some good measures but their achievements are less in comparison with their blunders,” it added.
PML(N) spokesman Siddiqul Farooq accused General Musharraf of spearheading a vilification campaign against the political leaders to discredit them among the masses.
After capturing power in October 1999, Gen. Musharraf focused his attention on character assassination of politicians, and his team joined him in hurling all sorts of accusations against the political leadership of the country, he said.
He pointed out that TV play writers were commissioned to malign the politicians, and the campaign in which technical resources and manpower worth billions of rupees have been spent, continued unabetted even today.
The dismemberment of East Pakistan and surrender of 90,000 troops were also enlisted by PML(N) as the failures of the then military ruler.
“Political leaders first laid the foundation of the atomic programme and then made Pakistan member of international nuclear club with six nuclear explosions rejecting heavy American pressures and tempting offer of three and a half billion dollars in aid. The ruling general, on the other hand, has jeopardized the security of nuclear installations by opening Pakistan’s air space to foreign intervention,” it added.
The PML(N) also condemned Ziaul Haq and held him responsible for proliferation of Kalashnikov and drugs in the country. “A general introduced heroin and Kalashnikov culture in the country, and set the humiliating tradition of horse-trading and writing off of loans.” He recalled that a political leader resolved 70-years-old dispute of water apportionment while the general had again caused controversy among the provinces on water distribution.
