Pervez Musharraf, the former military ruler of Pakistan, breathed his last at the American Hospital in Dubai on Sunday, February 5, 2023.

Who was Pervez Musharraf? He was a mighty dictator whose followers were always so fearful of him that they never dare to change his decisions. The enemies of Islam in the world were his friends. He sold the sovereignty of Pakistan to please the United States and its allies. He directly allowed them to use his own country and the country's soil when they invaded Afghanistan. The world's so-called big powers, both Muslim and non-Muslim were his protectors. They have given absolute support to all of his anti-Islamic activities and persecutions.

News of Pervez Musharraf's death was widely reported in the international media. It was also the main headline in online versions of some prominent newspapers in Bangladesh. Maybe they did it because they felt a pain for their partner's demise. Actually Pervez Musharraf and the people like him do not think about their death. They believe that the security and elite forces will provide them security. They think, people of the state institutions like the army, intelligence agencies, and courts are their slaves. So, they will protect us. There is nobody to remove us. Although they do not remember what happened to other dictators in the past, but it is mentioned in the holy Qur'an

اَیْنَ مَا تَكُوْنُوْا یُدْرِكْكُّمُ الْمَوْتُ وَلَوْكُنْتُمْ  فِیْ  بُرُوْجٍ مُّشَیَّدَۃٍ .

Wherever you will be, death will overtake you, even though you are in fortified castles — Surah Nisa (4): 78

وہ بادشاہ بھی سانسوں کی جنگ ہار گئے + جو اپنے گرد ہمیشہ سپاہ رکھتے تھے

In the battle of the breath, those royals also defeated, who always kept an army around them.

Pervez Musharraf has died.  Since 2016, he was suffering from a rare disease and was undergoing treatment in a hospital in Dubai.

By overthrowing the elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on October 12, 1999, Mosharraf seized power in Pakistan through a military coup. First he declared himself the Chief Executive, then the President through a so-called plebiscite. Before one year in 1998, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made him the army chief. Soon after taking power by force, like other dictators, Mosharraf, started repressing the oppositions. Nawaz Sharif was sentenced to life imprisonment for his alleged role in plane hijacking. One by one mainstream politicians were exiled from the country. Several state factions and regional extremist groups were brought to the field. He used to kill people recklessly in public gatherings and processions. Some of the judges sided with him for financial benefits, but the majority of the justices who did not bow to his injustice were imprisoned at home. By declaring a state of emergency, constitutional provisions pertaining to fundamental rights were suspended. These are part of history. Yet, we do not wish to discuss these issues today. We would like to make a few brief remarks.

Musharraf's Antipathy towards Islam

As for Pervez Musharraf's greatest quality (!), he, like other dictators, introduced some amusing sayings and slogans soon after seizing power. For example, he started utilizing the terms 'Pakistan Fast', 'Development', and 'Roushan Khayal' (the freedom of thought). Underneath this guise, he continued to lay the foundation for his usurpation, plundering, and hatred against Islam. He used suppression as a means of holding onto power by targeting political parties and leaders. However, his main agenda was the suppression and degradation of Islam and Muslims. For this purpose, he continued to impose various regulations over the country's madrasahs. Following his footsteps, people in other countries continue to carry out the same duties. One of his anti-Islamic activities was the attack on the Red Mosque complex in Islamabad. Armed operations were carried out ignoring the advice of the country's security experts, politicians, and leading Ulama. A large number of Ulama and young female students of madrasah were martyred.

Thus, as long as he was in power, he played the role of a puppet of the enemies of Islam. However, his decision and action that has created a terrible wound on the entire Islamic world, is the involvement of Pakistan in the so-called war on terror following 9/11.  In addition to involving the Pakistani Army in the war against terror, Parvez Musharraf also permitted outsiders, including the United States, to use Pakistani territory. From there, attacks and brutal massacres against Afghanistan's Islamic government have been carried out. Experts say that this decision led to more armed resistance and intolerance not just in Pakistan but all over the world. Thus he made a permanent trouble for whole Muslim world.

Another heinous crime committed by Pervez Mosharraf was the insult to the father of Pakistan's atomic bomb, Dr. Abdul Qadir Khan.  A statement full of falsehood was prepared, in which Dr. Abdul Qadir Khan was forced to confess to the transfer of nuclear weapons technology out of the country. In this way, one of the greatest contributors to a country was dishonored in front of the world. Indeed this was the agenda of the outsiders, implemented by their puppet Pervez Musharraf.  After that, Abdul Qadir Khan was detained under house arrest. But when he was released from house arrest on the orders of the court, he exposed the liars.

Despite all this, Mosharraf once had to bow down and quit the presidency owing to public outrage. Following that, he was charged with the murder of Mawlana Abdur Rashid Ghazi, the murder of Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bigti, and many other murders. He was also charged with treason for breaking the law while he was in power. He was sentenced to death by a court in 2019 while he was in exile in a sedition case.

During his presidency, Musharraf has accumulated mountains of wealth inside and outside Pakistan. According to a recent report, he has three million US dollars and five crore dirhams in eight different banks in the UAE. He has abundant wealth including luxury flats in London and big farmhouses in Pakistan. And ironically this man, after seizing power, uttered lots of sweet slogans and moral sayings against corruptions!

It is prohibited to discuss a person's personal faults after his death. Therefore, we are not discussing Mosharraf's personal life. But it is our duty to discuss the roles good or bad the rulers and influential personalities play for a country and society. If we discuss and remember their history, other people will learn from it. They might take cautionary steps lest they should be deceived by others. For this purpose, a few points are discussed about Mosharraf.

Some Lessons from the Tragic Death of Parvez Musharraf:

One. The tragic death of people like Pervez Musharraf has a lot of lessons for the world's rulers and arrogant tyrants. What a tragic fate happened to Musharraf! He could not stay in his own country since he was forced to quit power. He did not even dare to deal with the cases physically.

Two. There is a proverb in Arabic—

اتَّقِ شَرَّ مَنْ أَحْسَنْتَ إِلَيْه.

Beware of mischief of the person to whom you bestowed extra favors.

Nawaz Sharif, considering Parvez Mosharraf as more loyal, appointed him as army chief defying the rules; that man not only took away Nawaz Sharif's power, but also exiled him. From this, the powerful people of the world can learn many things. It cannot be said that those whom they put in important positions in the military and government will be the reason of their fall. Many people, including Indira Gandhi, were killed by their bodyguards.

Three. Although democracy and independence of the judiciary is a common slogan all over the world, but reality is different. Today judiciary is a tool of the rulers for maintaining their power. They appoint loyal people in these positions to cover up their misdeeds. Mosharraf also exploited some judges. They have given absolute support to Mosharraf's misdeeds. Today, those judges have been thrown away and disregarded. People cry shame on their names. As long as the world exists, the deeds of these people will remain a dark chapter. It would be good if judges in other countries who support wrongdoings learned something from them.

A lot more can be said in this way. But it is all for today. Pervez Musharraf has gone into a world from where there is no way back. In a world, where trickery is far away, the mouth cannot be opened. His organs bear witness to everything he did in the worldly life. All the lies, all the deceptions, all the injustices, all the oppressions - everything will be in front of him in details. There will be no way to deny anything. Everyone should lead his life, keeping it in mind.

Translated by Alauddin Rafiq