History tells us that most, even almost all of the dictators get in power by saying “yeah! I am going to use my power for the good of the people! And I have assumed the office in the larger greater interest of the country. WIth great power becomes great responsibility” The people fall for it and they end up getting some power hungry nut-job. To be honest I don’t think that Musharraf should be punished for drones, Lal Masjid, Akbar Bugti, 3rd Nov, or even for the 12th Oct. All of these crimes are just aftermaths of this real blunders. I have closely monitored Musharraf from start to end. I firmly believe that he was the most luckiest dictator Pakistan ever had. When he assumed power, he enjoyed comprehensive support from people, media, judiciary, military, and all political parties sans leftover PML-N.
Musharraf was even able to get approval from the Washington, Riyadh, and London. To his luck, despite of Kargil, India was ready to talk with him. Afghanistan was quiet. Then 9/11 happened, and Musharraf couldn’t believe that how quickly world accepted him as leader, and money started pouring in, and the economy shot up. Musharraf brought in the cosmetic economic wizard Shaukat Aziz, who created perfect economic bubble made up of CNG kits, Mobile phones, cars on credit, and fudged up indicators. With aid and loans and support funds raining from every direction, there was no worry under the sun. This is where I believe Musharraf committed the gravest crime of our history. He could have changed, transformed and completely overhauled the country.
He could have compel US and EU forces to write off the Pakistani loans of every kind with every financial institution. He could have easily get many many trade edges in the US and EU markets. He could have get technology for energy sector. He could have built Kalabagh and many other dams. He could have built motorways, metro trains, and other infrastructure. But he didn’t. All he did was enjoy his power. He wasted his golden chances. Musharraf was lucky, but he wasn’t a leader, visionary, or statesman. He was an ordinary military man with limited IQ and even more limited perception. He was an egoist and narrow minded person, who got lucky and reached to the positions he never deserved. I don’t think that any dictator would get such great chances again in Pakistan. Ironically, Musharraf is still lucky for himself, as he has put himself in a state, where he is a point of shame for military and a source of itch for government, and a thorn for judiciary. Nobody wants to try him, and they want to get rid of this dirt as soon as possible. For an absolute dictator with ego higher than Everest, this is the biggest punishment.