He is out of power and is loathed in India for his role during the infamous Kargil war. But the fact remains that General Parvez Musharraf is the most pragmatic individual in Pakistan politics who can deliver on the Indo-Pak issue.
There is no one better then Musharaff who understands the Kashmir dispute in Pakistan. He was involved in all the major wars between India & Pakistan. He fought his first war against India in 1965 as a 2nd Lieutenant which was followed by the 1971 war where he served as a company commander in the Special Service Group. But Musharraf will be always remembered for his role in the Kargil war, which many say was his game plan.
But the other side of the coin is that it was also during his rule as dictator of Pakistan that both India & Pakistan took some significant steps towards resolving the issue. His first visit to India in 2001 for the Agra summit was a big failure but it was his second visit to India in 2005 when he met Dr Manmohan Singh set the ball rolling. Musharraf himself has confessed that the two countries were on the brink of signing a historic peace deal which would have opened a new chapter in the relationship of the two countries.
There are various factors that make Musharraf a reliable candidate to deliver on the Indo-Pak issue compared to other Pakistani politicians. The first major factor is that being an armyman Musharraf will walk the talk on what ever is decided on this issue as he wouldn’t strike the deal to just reap electoral benefits. The second critical point is that being an ex-army General himself, Mushrraf clearly understands the dynamics of the ISI and its support for terror based groups that have been waging a war against India. And he would also know the exact approach to get the army on board to strike a deal with India.
Musharraf was part of the army’s top brass when insurgency in Kashmir started to bolster with the tacit support of the army & ISI. And ironically it was Musharraf who started to clamp down on the terror groups based in the western & northern region of Pakistan.Pakistani politicians will always remain ineffective to take action against terror groups that have been targeting India for the simple reason that they will face the flak from Islamic fundamental parties. The counter argument to this could be that if at all Mushraff makes a come back this time- it will be as a politician and therefore he won’t be able to move comprehensibly on this issue.But my assessment is that if there is any chance for Musharraf to make a comeback even if it is in the capacity of a politician it cannot be without the support of liberal Pakistanis and parties. So that will give him the mandate to approach this issue without any major political hiccups. And Musharraf being an ex-General surly knows what would be acceptable to Pakistan army on this issue.
Having fought three wars with India, Mushraf understands that Pakistan will be a bigger loser in the long term compared to India if tension continues to escalate between the two nations. Pakistan’s economy will not be able to grow unless the region is stable & it won’t be able to catch up with other growing nations. Another distinct trait of Musharraf is that at heart he is still a soilder with immortal love for Pakistan, which cannot be compared to any politician in Pakistan & therefore he would want to leave legacy behind that would benefit Pakistan for years to come.
Given the volatile nature of the state of Pakistan and its polity, Musharraf is someone who can do serious & meaningful business with India. But the bigger question is that whether Musharraf’s dream of coming back to power through the political route will just remain a mirage? With no cadre base, no matter how big the personality maybe, it won’t be easy to climb the political ladder. Imran Khan is a classic example who till date has not been able to make any major inroads in Pakistan politics. But the enigmatic General is known for suprises and this time too he just might prove his critics wrong. And funnily the soilder who fought three bitter wars against India is their best bet to end the six decade old deadlock.
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