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Pervez Musharraf : From college elections to presidential poll
ISLAMABAD, Sept 27: Very few people know about Pervez Musharraf's first 'successful'
election experience as a civilian way back in 1958 when had contested for the
slot of a councilor in his student days. Now 49 years down the road, Musharraf
is contesting for the second time in his life, this time for the presidential
slot and that too as a top uniformed officer, not as a civilian, a status that
could win him just councillorship.
As compared with other presidential
candidates like Justice (r) Wajih-ud-Din Ahmad and Makhdoom Amin Faheem,
Musharraf is least experienced in contesting elections. Justice (r) Wajih-ud-Din
has served as president of the bar association twice and Faheem has been
returning to the National Assembly for the last two decades.
Musharraf
is quite conscious about his 'inexperience' and had to admit it before senator
S. M. Zafar who once asked him: "Have you ever contested any election." "Yes, in
FC College," was Musharraf's brief reply. Zafar had inquired about Musharraf's
election experience by the end of 2003 when the stage was being set to secure a
vote of confidence for Musharraf from the assemblies in the backdrop of an
agreement with the MMA on LFO in the form of 17th amendment. In his book -
"Dialogue on the political chess board"- Zafar has mentioned his conversation in
this regard with Musharraf.
Going back to 1958, Pervez Musharraf won the
seat of a councilor in F. C. College, in 1958 when his senior, Amanullah Khan
Niazi, fielded him for the councilor's slot from Secondary Union panel. Niazi, a
retired Brigadier presently serving in CM Punjab's Inspection Commission, was
later elected as union president by the votes of his councilors. Beside
Musharraf, Chaudhry Ahmad Saeed (brother of Ahmad Mukhtar and a close friend of
COAS-President) was also elected as councilor of the F. C. College at that time.
Interestingly, Musharraf's top aide, Tariq Aziz who was senior to him by
session, was elected president of the college union. Musharraf also wrote in his
book - "In the Line of Fire" - that he had friendship with Niazi and some East
African boys who were then studying in the FC College. Brig (r) Niazi who was
two years senior to Musharraf, had fielded him for the slot of councilor whereas
he himself was vying for the slot of the union president. The News
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