A galaxy of more than 150 retired armed forces officers with a large representation from all three services gathered at a local five-star hotel and formed the PFG with the clear objective to use the forum as pressure group to support democracy and the rule of law.
Former President General (retd) Pervez Musharraf, who is head of the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), addressing the meeting by a video link, said that he would not come back to Pakistan while riding on the shoulders of the Army and the ISI but with the support of the people of Pakistan. The PFG also demanded of the government to allow the return of Pervez Musharraf like all citizens of Pakistan.
“Musharraf should be allowed to return to his country... participate in the elections and he should be provided the necessary security with protocol of the kind which is allowed to any other former president of the country,” said the resolution unanimously passed by the PFG comprising retired senior military, naval and air force officers.
Former coup-handler General (retd) Mohammad Aziz Khan, who was Chief of General Staff, outclassed efforts of deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to remove General Musharraf as Army Chief and installed Lt Gen (R) Ziauddin Butt as new Army chief in October 1999.
These retired armed forces officers have now realised to form this pressure group for supporting democracy and rule of law, though these top guns of yesteryear had never dreamt to see that their former army chief was seeking their support to return to his homeland and practice politics with his free movement.
This group of military officers is highly respected and none of them have ever been accused of dishonestly, disloyalty to their country and people or corrupt practices, whatsoever.
The PFG claimed to have affiliated with the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society, which has a membership of 93,000 and outreach to 2.5 million ex-servicemen and their families.
“Our experience to gather and form this group proved to be highly successful with bright prospects,” said one of the founders of the group, Maj Gen (retd) Haroon Sikander Pasha, who along with Aziz, former Naval Chief Admiral Shahid Karimullah, former NAB Chairmen Lt Gen Khalid Maqbool, Lt Gen (R) Munir Hafeiz, former Chairman NRB Lt Gen (retd) Tanwier Hussain Naqvi, former Chief of Staff to the President, Lt Gen (retd) Hamid Javed, former Commander Army Strategic Force Lt Gen (retd) Syed Absar Hussain and many others burnt midnight oil to announce formation of the PFG.
“It was a good beginning and we would soon hold another meeting to create pressure,” said Lt Gen (retd) Syed Absar Hussain.
Addressing what many used to call a “gathering of gentlemen —soldiers, sailors and airmen,” Pervez Musharraf said justice should be done to him and demanded that independent, free and fair elections should be held under the supervision of Pakistan Army. “All cases against me are based on political and personal animosity, though I have rendered unblemished services for the well-being of the country and the armed forces,” said Musharraf, who recently backtracked from his announcement to land in Pakistan between January 27-30, though he often announced that the “commando is not afraid of anybody.”
But he seems to be afraid of landing in jail where several civilian politicians including Asif Zardari, Yusuf Raza Gilani, Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif and many others were put for several years.
The PFG resolved: “We condemn the Army and ISI bashing in the strongest terms and feel the dire necessity of these institutions being allowed to work within the limits laid down in the Constitution.
“We feel that erosion of these institutions can only lead to weakening of Pakistan’s position as a sovereign and proud nation. And this forum feels that while all state institutions must be allowed to function within the purview of their respective roles, the demand of national dignity and sate security dictate that all organs of the state as well as the media persistently raise and maintain the prestige and morale of the nation and its armed forces. “We salute the Shuhada of the three armed forces, law enforcement agencies, media and civilians who sacrificed, or list their lives while facing internal and external aggression against the motherland.”
Prominent former senior officers of three services, who attended the inaugural session of the PFG, are: General (retd Aziz Khan (former Chairman, Admiral (retd Karimullah Khan (ex-CNS), Khalid Maqbool, Tanwir Husain Naqvi, Anis Abbasi, Sallahuddin Satti, Hamid Javed, Javed Alam Khan, Rehan Burney, Munir Hafiez, Syed Absar Hussain, Shahid Hamid, Zarar Azim, Vice Admiral (retd) ST Naqvi, Shamoon Alam Khan, Air Marshal (retd) Rashid Kaellm, Shahid Hamid, Haroon Sikander Pasha, Malid Iftikhar Khan, Jamshed Ayaz, Rashid Qureshi, Zafar Abbas, Brig (retd) Saulat Raza, Asad Munir and scores of others.
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