New Delhi: Despite all his anti-terrorism rhetoric and claims of being a tolerant man committed to taking Pakistan towards democracy, General Pervez Musharraf has managed to achieve the dubious distinction of being one of the “world’s top 10 dictators”.
The list, compiled by Britain’s New Statesman magazine, describes Musharraf as "an undemocratic ruler with whom the West has a long-standing marriage of convenience".
- Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus
- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of Iran
- Kim Jong-il of North Korea
- Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan
- Hu Jintao of China
- Teodoro Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea
In a scathing criticism, Sardar describes him as “a shrewd operator, skillful at manipulating his political opponents, congenial, fond of lecturing his nation, and has a short fuse”, adding, the only way Musharraf can make any Pakistani proud is by hanging up his military uniform.
However, the author also manages to balance the vitriolic attack with some praise and says that though Musharraf may be a dictator, he is “strictly not of the tin-pot variety”.
Sardar says that Musharraf, having survived two assassination attempts and political upsets, has made Pakistan a better economy.
“Under him Pakistan has risen to high rates of economic growth but he has not accumulated any personal wealth, something that ordinary Pakistanis appreciate.”
Sardar also appreciated that Musharraf has also not muzzled the media, which aggressively maintains its independence.
The magazine in it’s compilation of the list talks about their lifestyle talks about the luxury of kitsch excess like bouffant hairstyles, super-sized yachts and a fondness for khaki.
The final nail in the coffin is the statement - "Despite a global fear of dictators running amok, the only people they tend to harm are their own."
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