Lt Gen Shahid Aziz ready to face conditional action for 1999 coup

ISLAMABAD: Lt. Gen. (Retd) Shahid Aziz, one of the protagonists of October 12, 1999 coup d'état, is ready to face conditional action under Article 6 of the Constitution, Geo News reported.

"All those who in one way or the other ravaged the country must face the charges of breaching the constitution including Musharraf and his followers", said Lt. Gen Shahid Aziz during an exclusive interview with Geo News reporter Aizaz Syed.

To a question, Aziz who had been former president General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf's right-hand back in the day, said he violated the constitution because he believed it was a rotten product of a system that reeked of corruption.

He said the rulers are giving the country a bloodbath under the cover of the constitution.

"I do not respect a constitution that allowed rulers to suck people's blood", Lt Gen Aziz added.

"A real constitution is a people's project. If it is not constituted by the public then it is not a constitution", he said.

He regretted supporting the dictator, but in the same breath justified his own actions as an attempt to bring about a change in the broader interest of the country.

“Alas! The one, whose lead I followed, changed himself. He also became a part of this decaying system”, a remorseful Aziz said.