It was reported in The News International that Henny Khan, the wife of AQ Khan has suggested that Musharraf be treated the way Musharraf treated Dr. Khan after Dr. Khan's supposedly illegal activities surfaced. This is a remarkable fall from grace for Musharraf, a man who ran Pakistan like his personal estate. Just to remind the readers, Dr. Khan was put under "house arrest' and he was not allowed to travel, or receive visitors. His house became a prison for him and now, Musharaff might have to live under the very same conditions he forced Dr. Khan to endure.
This has to be one of the saddest days for Musharraf.
There was a time, and it was not that long ago, when Musharraf was the uncrowned king of Pakistan. His word was the order of the day, period. No one in his inner circle advised him to embrace humility when he used over the top bravado about those who disagreed with him. At times, his rhetoric was jaw dropping for people who had seen power come and go, but judging from Musharaff's own words and deeds, it is obvious that he was convinced of his own invincibility.
Life, as we all know, has a way of throwing curve balls once in a while and Musharraf is dealing with his share of curve balls.
Without taking any pleasure in Musharraf fall from grace, I have to say that there is a lesson for all of us, as well as for the current rulers in Islamabad here. Nothing lasts forever, and if Asif Zardari, and Nawaz Sharif don't want to go through what Musharraf is going through, they better get serious about the challenges that are threatening Pakistan's future.
Bilal Qureshi
