WHY MUSHARRAF MADE HIS COUP D'ETAT ?


Since 1988 to 1999 The power has been alternately taken by two chiefs of party : Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. The two have never finished their five-year tenure involved in corruption cases.

Nawaz Sharif came back to power in february 1997. With a very large majority in parliament he became more and more authoritarian. After he met the Indian prime minister Vajpayee in Lahore in february 1999, the people and the army were afraid that a deal with India could be a blow to the sacred cause of reunification with the Indian part of Kashmir. So the Army, under cover of Kashmir militants, took several military positions on the Indian side of the line between the two parts of Kashmir.

A local war erupted between India and Pakistan in the aera of Kargill. Under the pressure of Bill Clinton, Sharif ordered to the Army to come back to the Pakiskan side of the border.

So, relations between the Army and population, on one side, and sharif on the other side went more and more tense.

On 12 october, taking advantage that general Musharraf was out of the country, Sharif dismissed him from his duties. Even his plane was denied from landing on Karachi airport.

Few hours later, in the night, Sharif and all the main politicians in the country in a bloodless coup were arrested.

At that time, a very large majority of the Pakistaneses approved Musharraf action. <br><br>Post edited by: Jacques, at: 2008/02/22 18:48