ISLAMABAD:
Former army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani had played the most important
role in brokering an immunity deal for former president General Pervez
Musharraf in 2008, according to which Asif Zardari gave a firm commitment to
the US, UK and Gen Kayani that indemnity for Musharraf would be forthcoming if
he stepped down.
According to at least two
leaked American diplomatic cables which had made their way to the international
media on December 7, 2010, a series of political and strategic blunders by
Musharraf had given cause and justification to both Asif Zardari and the then
army chief General Kayani to work separately for his honourable exit.
In two separate cables
written by then US ambassador to Islamabad Anne W. Patterson, details were
given about how General Kayani (who had just been elevated as the army chief
after Musharraf took off his uniform to retain the presidency), and Asif Ali
Zardari, the leader of the majority party in the new National Assembly (after
the 2008 polls), had systematically started to distance themselves from
Musharraf.
In a ‘brief’ and ‘talking
points’ prepared for Admiral Mike Mullen during his early 2008 visit to
Pakistan, Ambassador Patterson states:
“As expected, Gen Ashfaq
Kayani is taking slow but deliberate steps to distance the army from now
civilian President Pervez Musharraf.” In a separate cable about a meeting of US
Representatives Adam Schiff and Allyson Schwartz with Asif Zardari in May 2008,
the American ambassador had given details of how the PPP co-chairman (who later
became president following Musharraf’s exit) advocated an ‘honourable exit’ for
Musharraf.
According to the cable,
“Zardari blamed Musharraf for not taking enough responsibility for the war on
terrorism in Pakistan”, which resulted in a marked increase in anti-US sentiments
in the country.
“Anti-US feeling will go
away when the old faces go away,” the leaked cable noted, adding that the
American government should no longer rely on just Musharraf in fighting
terrorism. In her own assessment of Musharraf’s public standing, Ambassador
Patterson wrote in the cable that a year ago, his popularity was high. But
“beginning with his decision to fire the Chief Justice (Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry) in March 2007, Musharraf has made repeated blunders culminating in a
state of emergency and temporary suspension of the Constitution”. A detailed
reading of some of these cables suggest that by this time all three major
players, Asif Zardari, General Kayani and the American ambassador, had made up
their minds that time was up for the former military ruler who had already been
accused of involvement in the tragic assassination of Ms Benazir Bhutto.
According to one of the
leaked cables, the US ambassador wrote on August 23, 2008, during her meetings
with Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and General Kayani,
immunity for General Pervez Musharraf was discussed besides some other issues.
The US Ambassador met with Pakistan People’s Party leader Asif Zardari on
August 23, 2008 with then prime minister Gilani on August 21 and with then army
chief General Kayani on August 20, 2008.
“In separate meetings with
Asif Zardari, PM Gilani and chief of army staff Kayani, the ambassador pressed
for quick action on immunity for former Musharraf. Zardari and Gilani said
flatly they were committed to providing immunity, but not until after the
presidential election (now scheduled for September 6, 2008). Pushing immunity
now, they believed, could jeopardize Asif Zardari’s candidacy. General Kayani
expressed concern that if immunity becomes tied up with the ongoing debate over
the judges’ future, it may never happen. Zardari plans to continue to slow roll
action on the judges’ restoration but remains confident that Nawaz Sharif will
not walk out of the coalition.
“Nawaz’s deadlines for
action on the judges continue to pass unfulfilled; the next one is scheduled
for August 27, 2008. The August 20 decision by Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)
to back Zardari for president has strengthened Zardari’s hand against Nawaz
Sharif. Nawaz is left with the option of walking out of the coalition, but
having little prospect of forcing a new general election in the short term.
“Asif Zardari is walking
tall these days, hopefully not too tall to forget his promise to General Kayani
and to us on an immunity deal.”
According to the leaked
diplomatic cables, “Asif Zardari told the US Ambassador that he was committed
to indemnity for Pervez Musharraf.
The ambassador stressed
that only the promise of indemnity had persuaded Musharraf to step down as
president. We believed, as we had often said, that Musharraf should have a
dignified retirement and not be hounded out of the country. Zardari
(subsequently) cited a British anecdote about the Spanish empire and said:
“Tell the most powerful man in the world that there is no way that I would go
back on what I have said.” Zardari noted that he already had firmly committed
to the US, the UK and chief of army staff Kayani that indemnity for Musharraf
would be forthcoming.
As the ambassador urged
him to do it quickly, Zardari said flatly that to do it before he was elected
president would lose him votes, but he would pass both the legislation and a
presidential pardon as soon as he was elected. Zardari then revealed that
Musharraf had approached chief justice (Abdul Hameed) Dogar about issuing a
restraining order against the impeachment motion, but Justice Dogar had
refused. Zardari also alleged that Musharraf had planned to replace General
Kayani as COAS if Dogar had blocked the impeachment. Zardari said he was trying
to keep Nawaz in the coalition and was candid that he planned to tie up the
judges’ issue for a long time. He added that parliament would debate the
restoration of the judges; chief justice Dogar would then submit some rulings
on the restoration of the judges; all this could take months. In the meantime,
he was trying to persuade former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry to become
Governor of Balochistan.
Going by the same leaked
cable which was written by the US ambassador, Zardari said he did not think
Nawaz would leave the coalition, but he admitted the Pakistan Muslim League had
become increasingly testy. He said that he had already agreed with Nawaz Sharif
to curtail the powers of the president and then allow Nawaz to be eligible for
a third term as prime minister; both measures would require constitutional
amendments. Zardari said he also had leverage over Shahbaz Sharif, who through
paperwork snafus, had been technically elected illegally for a third term as
the chief minister.
This, too, would have to
be resolved in parliament, Zardari said. “So I can give them something they
want,” noted Asif Zardari, “that’s what politics is all about.”
According to the leaked
cable, after an August 20 (2008) meeting with the visiting S/CT Coordinator
Dell Dailey, General Kayani asked the ambassador to stay behind and discuss his
concerns that Asif Zardari was delaying General Musharraf’s immunity bill. Kayani
had heard the large meeting of coalition partners (chaired on August 19, 2008
by the newly returned Bilawal Bhutto) had discussed the judges primarily. Then
they decided to take a 72-hour break to consult the party members.
General Kayani said he
took Asif Zardari’s commitments to now ex-president Pervez Musharraf as the
most important argument in persuading him to resign. Asif Zardari made very
specific commitments to Kayani. Now, for Asif Zardari to delay makes him
(Kayani) look bad within his own institution “and I have to take the Army along
with me.” Kayani also noted that the delay does nothing for Zardari’s
reputation for trustworthiness. If this issue gets conflated with the judges
and with Zardari’s own desires to be president, it will become too complicated
to pass, Kayani said.
The US ambassador met with
Prime Minister Gilani and Interior Minister Rehman Malik for 30 minutes on
August 21, 2008. Gilani said the PPP was going to provide immunity to
Musharraf, but the timing was important.
They were afraid that
putting forward immunity legislation would lose them votes for Asif Zardari‘s
presidential campaign. The ambassador pressed on this issue, saying that
Musharraf would never have agreed to resign without the promise of immunity. He
assured the ambassador that he and the party did not want vengeance. Regarding
immunity, Gilani said “many will say that we have done a deal with America, but
I still understand that we have to do it.”
Six years later, Gilani
revealed on Friday that an understanding had been reached with the
establishment that Musharraf would be given an honourable exit if he resigned,
instead of going through impeachment proceedings.
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