conomic crisis and an empty treasury are standard complaints of civilian governments taking over the reins. Corrupt institutions in need of reforms are the key slogan of military rulers.

This was, in fact, the most popular slogan sold by Gen Pervez Musharraf – the former president and army chief who had ruled the country for almost a decade after removing Nawaz Sharif’s civilian government on October 12, 1999.

In his early public speeches, Musharraf had vowed to reform and restructure the country’s ‘poorly functioning’ institutions to ensure efficiency, improved performance and merit.

During his first three years, he used the National Reconstruction Bureau, headed by a retired general, to design and introduce reforms and to restructure the local government system. Many appreciated his efforts to introduce a local government system with empowered elected leaders. Many of the reforms he introduced were not implemented in letter and spirit. These included financial and demonstrative autonomy of local governments. He also failed to place police under the local governments and constitute public safety commissions in accordance with laws and rules.

In 1999, he had set up the National Accountability Bureau to eradicate corruption by state/ government officials. Over time the organisation came to be recognised as a tool for political engineering and to prolong his regime.

The NAB has since then remained a highly controversial organisation. It has been accused of targeting political and bureaucratic elite to victimise and harass all opposition.

Many consider the first three years of Musharraf’s rule quite successful. However, the reform agenda was later overtaken by political engineering

Police Order 2002, which was meant to restructure and regulate the police and make it accountable, met a similar fate. It was amended from time to time after Musharraf succumbed to political pressures.

His restructuring of the education and health sectors has also been a subject of controversy. The Higher Education Commission that replaced the University Grants Commission, brought significant changes in the higher education sector. The number of universities and degree courses rose quickly. Dozens of new universities and sub-campuses were set up, and many colleges were upgraded and made universities. The two-year bachelor’s degrees were phased out and replaced with the four years honours programme.

Musharraf also tried to reform the school curricula to promote ‘enlightened moderation.’ In this effort, he faced strong opposition from the clergy, who saw it as an attempt to appease the West.

Effort was also made to introduce reforms in religious seminaries and introduce general education in these seminaries. It was resisted. Millions of dollars were spent on this project. As a result many seminaries got computer labs as part of their mainstreaming agenda.

A University of Health Sciences was created in the Punjab. It was a brainchild of late Dr Mahmood Ahmed Chaudhary, a close aide of Musharraf’s. The plan faced serious opposition from the medical fraternity at that time.

Many consider the first three years of Musharraf’s rule as quite successful. Affirmative action and reform agenda, however, was later overtaken by political engineering to perpetuate his rule.

The writer is a staff reporter. He can be reached a vaqargillani@gmail.com. He tweet @waqargillani