Ever since Gen. Pervez Musharraf returned to Pakistan, he has been caught in a miasma of misinformation that has been created by the media to further certain negative perceptions about him. The courts are doing their bit to queer the pitch. While there has been a huge outcry to invoke Article 6 against Gen. Musharraf for allegedly committing high treason, deep in the echelons of power, it is well understood that this would open the mythical Pandora’s Box and would entail rolling of a good many important heads.

Perhaps Musharraf was not ready for the disillusionment that he now faces. The very media he had freed has turned against him, vociferously applauding the treatment the judiciary is meting out to him in its crass vindictiveness. There is a well-organized anti-Musharraf campaign that is on these days through news stories, panel discussions and TV tickers.

Of late, the legal term ‘suo moto’ (meaning on its own motion) has almost become a household word in Pakistan, thanks to the frequent actions taken under the suo moto provision of the law by the superior judiciary. However, this same judiciary has not bothered to take suo moto action against the late Akbar Bugti’s son for announcing head money of Rs.1 billion and land for anyone who kills Pervez Musharraf.