Critical army letter targets Musharraf

[DuctapeFatwa]

A letter sent to members of the opposition in Pakistan on a military letterhead has caused panic in President Pervez Musharraf's government because it says he "has been imposed on this nation."

"We want to assure the nation that this army belongs to you and to Pakistan ... Pervez Musharraf and his clique has been imposed on this nation," says the letter seen by United Press International.

Last week the government arrested Javed Hashmi, a member of Parliament, who tried to present the letter to the speaker of the National Assembly, wanting it included in the official parliamentary record. Hashmi now faces sedition charges.

The letter appeared weeks after U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said he was unsure if the rank and file of the Pakistan army was cooperating with Musharraf in the war against terrorism. He retracted the statement on Oct. 6, maintaining the "institutions are ... 200 percent behind the nation and behind the president."...The letter, however, creates fresh doubts about the army's commitment to Musharraf and also reflects resentment, at least among those who sent the letter, against his decision to back the U.S.-led war against terrorism. The letter also raises questions about the decision to send Pakistani troops to Kargil, a region in Indian Kashmir, in 1999, which began a mini-war between the two rivals and caused the deaths of thousands of soldiers on both sides.

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20031107-125247-8004r