Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf was laid to rest at a cemetery in the southern city of Karachi this week with “full military honours”. The military leader’s support for the American invasion of Afghanistan in the wake of 9/11 will forever remain his legacy.
“His legacy will always be his cooperation with US president George W. Bush during the global War on Terror. That never-ending war could never have been unleashed without his cooperation,” said British journalist Dr Yvonne Ridley.
Handpicked by then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as chief of Pakistan’s army in 1998, Musharraf seized power a year later in a coup after Sharif tried to sack him. Pakistan then became a key US ally and joined its so-called “war on terror” after the deadly Twin Towers attacks on September 11, 2001.
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Pervez Musharraf’s Cooperation with US
Dr Ridley was in Pakistan when Pervez Musharraf announced Pakistan’s cooperation with the George W Bush administration that led the invasion of neighbouring Afghanistan. She recalled his tense composure during the televised address.
“It was quite clear, as he carved out each word, crafted very carefully, when he said Pakistan would be united with America, you could see he was a man who had a gun to his head. Of course, it was just after the days of 9/11, America was in no mood for compromise,” she said.
However, Dr Ridley maintained he had a choice, which was to hold a referendum. She said: “He should have gone to the people. He should have said to the Americans, ‘okay, I see where you’re at, but I’m going to hold a referendum and consult my people’.”
Musharraf’s cooperation with the invaders literally paved the way for a protracted, deadly battle that would bring Afghanistan to its knees. The landlocked country would not have been accessible to NATO forces had it not been for Musharraf’s cooperation.
The so-called ‘War on Terror’ was also marred by overwhelming human rights abuses. Dr Ridley said the Pakistani nation would in no way have backed such a campaign.
Julie Allie and Dr Yvonne Ridley also discussed the plight of Pakistani citizens, such as Dr Aafia Siddiqui, who were incarcerated in the notorious Guantanamo Bay prison. Watch the full interview here.
