Mustafa Qadri

Pervez Musharraf’s talk of ‘tacit approval’ reminds us of the trail linking distant torture chambers to the heart of our governments Mustafa Qadri, guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 15 March 2011 12.52 GMT The admission by Pervez Musharraf, the former Pakistan president, of British complicity in torture on BBC2′s The Secret War on Terror should not surprise anyone. What [...]

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As civilian leaders struggle with flooding and political unrest, rumours of a military coup are easily spread Mustafa Qadri, guardian.co.uk, Friday 10 September 2010 13.00 BST Given all the tensions of recent weeks, it is perhaps no surprise that Pakistan’s rumour mill is filled with talk of yet another military coup. This time, however, the [...]

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FOR well on three decades, Pakistan’s military establishment has been sympathetic to Islamist militancy, causing many to doubt its bona fides in the war against the Taliban, now in its ninth year.

But recent developments in this war suggest that military planners have finally realised the risks of this most dangerous of relationships. Army chief Ashfaq Kayani recently noted that a Taliban society at home and in Afghanistan was not in Pakistan’s interests. In the past, Pakistan supported the Taliban in Afghanistan and its own tribal areas in a quest to achieve “strategic depth” against rival India. Now, Kayani concedes, a stable and friendly Afghanistan is sufficient strategic depth for Pakistan.

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General Ashfaq Kayani is no Musharraf and under his leadership the military is showing welcome signs of a break with the past

Mustafa Qadri
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 4 March 2010 17.30 GMT

Pakistan’s army, the bedrock of an otherwise fragile state, may not be the most progressive institution. But recent developments suggest that military leaders realise it needs to change, even if key concerns remain.

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The former president has hinted at a return to Pakistani politics. Worryingly, it could be more than just a pipe dream.

Mustafa Qadri
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 18 February 2010 18.30 GMT

At no point do world leaders look more diminished than after leaving office, and Pakistan’s former president and military dictator Pervez Musharraf is no exception. So when he addressed a London audience this week, it was perhaps ironic that much of what he said was a reminder that little has changed in the way the west relates to the “AfPak” region.

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Faced with terrorism, a flagging economy and a raft of potential lawsuits, how long can Pakistan’s president survive?

Mustafa Qadri
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 27 January 2010 15.10 GMT

With his chequered past and unlikely rise to the top, it is understandable that Asif Ali Zardari has faced constant calls to resign ever since becoming president of Pakistan two years ago. The central focus of the grievances has been Pakistan’s supreme court where a raft of charges have been submitted against Zardari and most of the senior leaders of the ruling Pakistan Peoples party by a motley mix of political parties, private citizens, and the court itself.

But in the glasshouse that is Pakistani politics the risk is that perceptions of judicial independence will be shattered by all the stone throwing. To understand the fracas it is necessary to consider recent history. After public pressure forced the Zardari government to reinstate Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, there was widespread celebration that at last Pakistan had found one institution that was above the cronyism that has plagued political life here.

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Now that an amnesty providing immunity to thousands has expired, Pakistan’s supreme court has the chance to showcase its merits

· Mustafa Qadri
· guardian.co.uk, Saturday 5 December 2009 18.00 GMT

It may be more a matter of wits than weapons, but the battle for control of Pakistan’s executive branch of government is as significant for the country as the war against the Taliban. Resolving this latest crisis, the fiercest tussle over the stewardship of the country since Pervez Musharraf was ousted from the presidency in August 2008, will determine the future of Pakistan’s parliamentary democracy for many years to come.

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The knives are out when dictators fall from power, but the politics of retribution is rarely clean or cathartic

Mustafa Qadri
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 30 August 2009 17,00 BST

The tables turn quickly in politics, but for dictators the shift from all-powerful to powerless can be rather sudden. Over a period of 12 months, the last Shah of Iran went from feared dictator to refugee who struggled to find asylum in three different continents (including the US, his one-time staunchest supporter).

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Interviews with Pakistan’s “disappeared persons” for Amnesty International’s Human Rights Defender Magazine – June/July/August edition 2009.

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Mr Sharif, a possible future prime minister, was sharply critical of US policy in Pakistan saying former US president George W. Bush had helped promote terrorism by backing military ruler General Pervez Musharraf. He said Mr Bush was against Pakistan’s return to democracy and deaf to advice. Interesting to see how his views are now [...]

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Sindh High Court has summoned Pervez Musharraf and top lawyers from his regime to answer a treason charge.

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An advocate on Tuesday filed a petition with the Supreme Court charging former president Pervez Musharraf with ‘high treason’ and seeking his trial under Article 6 of the Constitution.

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My report for The Guardian from Islamabad the day of the Chief Justice’s reinstatement has just been published here:

Democracy has been revitalised by Pakistan’s Chief Justice

President Zardari’s decision to reinstate Chief Justice Chaudhry has stabilised the country – and saved his political career

Mustafa Qadri

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My report for NewMatilda.com from the start of the lawyers’ Long March in Karachi for NewMatilda.com was published today:

The Long March Begins

Protestors in Pakistan’s lawyers’ movement set out yesterday on their long march to the capital. Mustafa Qadri reports from Karachi on what has become a street-level vote of no-confidence in the Government

From across the country they took to the streets, re-enacting scenes from the darkest days of the Musharraf regime over a year earlier.

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Mustafa Qadri: Long March To Nowhere

As bickering politicians bring paralysis to Pakistan, will Washington give the army its backing?

It seems with each new week a fresh crisis is thrust upon the people of Pakistan. This year, in a little over two months, the nation has faced more traumas than most countries face in a generation. Last month authorities in the north-western Swat valley reached a peace deal with a religious group closely aligned to the Taliban. This week another peace deal was signed directly with the Taliban in the neighbouring Bajaur tribal agency after a series of successful if devastating operations by the Pakistani army.

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Will Pakistan’s Army Chief step into the political fray the country’s civilian leadership is currently embroiled in? That’s the question I ask in my latest piece for newmatilda.com:

A New Dictator For Pakistan?

Speculation is mounting in Islamabad that a military coup is on the cards, writes Mustafa Qadri. And Pakistan’s most powerful ally doesn’t seem to mind…

Pakistan is facing its greatest political crisis since the resignation of Pervez Musharraf as president last year.

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Here are some common assumptions about Pakistan and its citizens that I have come across in the Indian media…

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Afghanistan and Pakistan Take Centre Stage Called ‘the central front’ by Barack Obama, Pakistan and Afghanistan have endured another year of turmoil, writes Mustafa Qadri. My latest piece for The Diplomat magazine is a review of the political and security situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan this year. It is available on subscription from their website [...]

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The following piece, on simmering dispute over Indian-controlled Kashmir, was printed in NewMatilda.com today:

All Road Lead to Kashmir

The Indian Government has done well to paint itself as an innocent victim after the Mumbai attacks. But Lashkar-e-Toiba has its roots in the conflict over Kashmir, writes Mustafa Qadri

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ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Shaukat Aziz spent over one billion rupees on 47 foreign visits during 2004-07. He had also falsely claimed after his visit to Saudi Arabia that he had paid the expenses from his own pocket. The Foreign Office revealed this in the National Assembly on Monday.

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“Next despot?” NewMatilda.com 8 September 2008
(Musharraf may be gone, but the people of Pakistan don’t expect vast improvements under their new President. Asif Ali Zardari likes power and he isn’t afraid to use it writes Mustafa Qadri.)

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“Musharraf’s end: new beginning?” Foreign Policy in Focus, 22 August 2008
(On Pervez Musharraf’s resignation as President of Pakistan)

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“End of the Musharraf era in Pakistan” Guardian – Comment is Free, 19 August 2008
(On Pervez Musharraf’s resignation as President of Pakistan)

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“A bloodless end” NewMatilda.com 19 August 2008
(On Pervez Musharraf’s resignation as President of Pakistan)

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The United States made it known on Sunday that it was not considering any proposal to grant political asylum to President Pervez Musharraf.

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Just noticed this energetic video clip on youtube of a Pakistani woman voicing her discontent towards President Musharraf. Quite amusing.

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The US and British diplomats are covertly seeking a graceful exit for the Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, reports say.

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The White House has said that President George W. Bush believes only Pakistanis should decide who they want to lead their country, sending a clear signal that he will not rescue President Pervez Musharraf from an impeachment move.

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What remained to be worked out were guarantees for Mr. Musharraf’s physical safety if he stayed in Pakistan, or where he would go into exile. Among the places that Mr. Musharraf is said to favor if he goes abroad are Dubai, Turkey, the United Kingdom or the United States, though his strong preference is to [...]

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Benazir Bhutto’s widower is accusing President Musharraf of siphoning off millions from aid intended to support war on terror.

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“Will Musharraf finally fall?” NewMatilda.com 11 August 2008
(On the increasing speculation on Pervez Musharraf’s future as Pakistan President)

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Mr. Zardari has made it known that he would like to be president, according to Pakistani and Western officials. As leader of the majority party, he could seek the nomination for president. The appointment of the president is decided by a vote of the national legislature and the provincial assemblies.

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“A tale of two impeachments” Guardian – Comment is Free 8 August 2008
(A comparison of the impeachment proceedings against Pakistan’s President Musharraf and US President George Bush)

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ISLAMABAD – The elders of the legal fraternity are displeased with the ruling coalition for placing the demand of restoration of deposed judges on the back-burner and linking the same with the impeachment of President Pervez Musharraf.

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I just got interviewed by Geo TV on the impeachment of Musharraf. They asked what I thought will happen from here. I said no one really knows but Musharraf won’t budge easily. A lot depends upon what the Army and the US does. No doubt Musharraf is counting his allies as we speak. More importantly, [...]

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President Pervez Musharraf will have to face impeachment under Article 47 of the Constitution if he fails to take vote of confidence from the assemblies immediately. This was announced by Co-chairman PPP, Asif Ali Zardari at a joint press conference with PML(N) Chief, Nawaz Sharif, here at Zardari House on Thursday. The announcement came after [...]

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My latest piece, on Musharraf’s clamp down on dissent in Pakistan, has been published in this week’s New Matilda:

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Musharraf’s dismissal of the Pakistani Chief Justice reveals the true face of the War on Terror.

Friday, or ‘Jumma’ as it is known to Muslims, is the holiest day of the week. It is usually a day of rest and reflection. It was on a Friday, 9 March 2007, that President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan told the country’s senior most judge, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry of the Supreme Court, that he was being dismissed due to allegations of misconduct. Little detail of the alleged misconduct was made public by the Government. What information is known of the allegations came from an open letter to the Chief Justice from a noted pro-Government lawyer and television presenter, Naeem Bokhari.

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