n Musharraf must do the ‘right' thing by appearing before court FOR as long as most of us can remember, accountability has been selective in our country. To be still more specific, those belonging to certain institutions have always remained more or less immune from the principles of justice applied to ordinary citizens. For this reason, the declaring of former president and chief of army staff General Pervez Musharraf as a proclaimed offender by a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court in the case of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto is significant. It is, after all, a rare occurrence in our country to see orders issued for the pictures of a former army chief to be published in newspapers, labeling him a wanted ‘PO', writes The News in its editorial. Excerpts: This development is all the more significant given that Musharraf himself has, on more than one occasion, spoken with derision about Pakistani courts and made it quite clear that he has no intention of appearing before them. This, coming from a man who once held a position of responsibility in the land, sets a bad example. The former president's message seems to suggest that individuals who wear uniform cannot be expected to accept subservience to a civilian authority or obey court orders. It is also ironic, as people have not forgotten how his ambition and hunger for power moved him towards taking steps that brought discredit. In contrast, it is interesting to see what's happening in Turkey, where a top general has been jailed for attempting, in 2003, to topple the government of then prime minister Tayyip Erdogan. General Bilgin Balanli, who heads his country's military academies, is the highest ranking officer to be charged with involvement in the conspiracy. An Istanbul court continues to look into other, similar attempts in past decades. The case comes at a time when tensions between the military and the civilian government continue to escalate. But the verdict could also help establish a much needed element of balance within the Turkish political system and as such create greater safety for elected governments and a sense of ‘fair play'. This is something we need to establish as well. If the system of justice is to work, no one can be placed on a pedestal. The fact that this has repeatedly happened explains why there has been little faith in the judicial system. To build more faith, the system needs to demonstrate that every citizen is equal before the law. As a man who has little hesitation in praising his own deeds, and as a person who has made it clear that he intends to play a future role in Pakistani politics, General Musharraf must do the ‘right' thing by appearing before the court, giving his side of the story, and demonstrating that he is brave enough to face the courts rather than hide from them miles away from home. __
