Summary General Musharraf wanted me to serve for the full tenure of 5 years: Rafiq Tarrar
(Web Desk) – Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif asked me to stay as President after he was overthrown from government on October 12, said former President of Pakistan and senior Justice of Supreme Court Rafiq Tarrar.
Talking on Nuqta-e-Nazar on October 12, 2015, exactly 18 years after General Musharraf’s coup, Chairman Nazariya-e-Pakistan and 9th President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Rafiq Tarrar recalled his memories on how a black day in the democracy of Pakistan came to pass.
Talking exclusively to Dunya News, Rafiq Tarrar said that after the coup of October 12, 1999, he had asked for consultation of his old friend, PM Nawaz Sharif, who had been placed under house arrest. Sharif had advised him to stay as President for as long as possible, said Tarrar.
Rafiq Tarrar said that he was attending a luncheon, where the current President Mamnoon Hussain was also in attendance, when he received news from Nawaz Sharif that General Musharraf has been sacked and General Ziauddin Butt of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) has been appointed as the commander of armed forces.
“We need your consensus(to sign for Presidency) immediately otherwise America and Europe would consider Pakistan a rogue state”
-Musharraf to Tarrar on October 13
Former President and Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf had personally requested him to stay for the rest of his term as President, said Tarrar. Elaborating the landscape on the night of the coup, Tarrar said that entire political apparatus was unhappy and the mood was gloomy on the night on October 12.
As per Tarrar, General Pervez Musharraf phoned him on the night of October 12 and told him of his arrival in Islamabad on the next day. Musharraf arrived on the 13th and upon his arrival had saluted Tarrar. General Musharraf, he said, wanted him to serve for the full tenure of 5 years as his resignation would mean deterioration of legitimacy of Pakistan among the nations worldwide.
“Nobody rose up and protested at sacking of PM Nawaz”
-Rafiq Tarrar
“I will take 3 days to consider my decision”, recalls Tarrar from his conversation with General Musharraf. Former President recounted Nawaz Sharif’s advice and said that he decided to remain at the seat of Presidency for the next 4 years till he had to resign as a protest to General Musharraf’s extra-constitutional order in 2001.
