Pak must tackle terror than waste energy in pointless pursuit of Musharraf: Editorial

Pakistan government's pursuit of former army chief Pervez Musharraf's trial for treason at a time when the country should be focusing on more important and urgent issue like terrorism has been questioned by an editorial.

According to the editorial in Daily Times, there is a certain sense of urgency in holding Musharraf's trial as first the interim government used the excuse of putting the conduct of free and fair elections first, making the courts wait until the new government was sworn in and now the court is publicly announcing that the treason petitions against Musharraf will be heard on a day-to-day basis.

The PML-N government earlier initiated the process of prosecution against Musharraf but now with the Article 6 demanding investigation of the collaborators in the offences, the government appears reluctant.

The editorial pointed out that the government should focus on other important and immediate issues like terrorism, which is on the rise with attacks being reported every day and it is speculated that maybe that is why Chaudhry Nisar has categorically been saying that Musharraf does not represent the army and that the two are separate entities.

Musharraf's trial at a time when the government and the military should desperately fight terrorism has resulted in an energy crisis that has uprooted life for every citizen in the country and an extremely disappointing economy that will be difficult to recover from.

The trial of Musharraf, expected to open a Pandora's Box is supposed to point at many senior serving as well as retired officials of the Pakistan government and pointing to the situation in which either all military dictators since 1958 would be probed or Musharraf would be singled out.

The editorial added that the government has to choose its priorities and issues very carefully.