Emergency contacts had already begun between General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and the corps commanders. Lieutenant General Mahmood Ahmed, who was the Rawalpindi corps commander at the time, took charge after realising how serious the situation was. In Karachi, army personnel took control of the airport on their own, without waiting for orders. They switched on the lights and cleared the runway to ensure the aircraft could land safely.’

This is how former army chief General Pervez Musharraf described the events of October 12, 1999, in his autobiography. It was the same day that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz had observed as Black Day for years.

On the evening of October 12, 1999, a political event took place in Pakistan that changed the course of the country's history. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced the removal of Army Chief General Pervez Musharraf and appointed ISI chief Lieutenant General Khawaja Ziauddin Butt as the new army chief. Musharraf was returning to Pakistan from a visit to Sri Lanka at the time. The prime minister's decision triggered a confrontation with the military leadership, and within hours, the elected government was gone.

General Musharraf described the events of that day in his autobiography, and history books have plenty to say about them as well. According to his account, after news of his removal was broadcast at around 5pm, the army became active in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. Musharraf described the operation in his book as a “counter-coup”, but historically, the events of October 12, 1999, are remembered as a military coup.

In Islamabad, army personnel entered Pakistan Television (PTV) and the Prime Minister's House. Years later, journalist Fahd Hussain, who was present at the PTV centre, told Dawn that he had seen armed soldiers entering through the main gate and climbing the stairs. A photograph of soldiers climbing the main entrance of the PTV building, published in newspapers the following day, became one of the defining images of the coup.

Meanwhile, the situation at Karachi airport was also changing rapidly. General Musharraf's aircraft was returning from Sri Lanka, but a dispute over its landing had created a tense situation. Army personnel took control of the airport, and the aircraft eventually landed in Karachi.

In Islamabad, army personnel were moving towards the Prime Minister's House. According to Musharraf's account, Rawalpindi Corps Commander Lieutenant General Mahmood Ahmed entered the Prime Minister's House at around 8:30pm and took Nawaz Sharif into custody. His brother, Shahbaz Sharif, and other senior members of the government were also detained following the military takeover. In Lahore, army personnel surrounded the Sharif family's residences in Model Town and Raiwind.

That same night, General Musharraf addressed the nation. He justified the military takeover by saying that the step had become necessary to prevent further instability in the country. On October 14, 1999, he imposed a state of emergency, announced that the Constitution would remain in abeyance and took over as chief executive.

A hijacking case was later registered against Nawaz Sharif, and in April 2000, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. However, the case has its own separate legal and political history.

The PML-N observes October 12 as Black Day every year to remember the event. For the party, it was the day an elected prime minister was removed and the democratic process was derailed through military intervention. On this occasion, party leaders would usually stress the importance of democracy, parliamentary supremacy and constitutional rule. Whether they still do so today is another question. There are few clear signs of it.

Yesterday, I was listening to Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry. He was saying that the decision to impose emergency rule and governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been taken by Shehbaz Sharif in consultation with Nawaz Sharif.

I found myself wondering how heavy a burden Nawaz Sharif must have carried on his heart before agreeing to this decision. Did October 12, 1999, not come back to his mind? Did Shahbaz Sharif forget everything that happened back then?

By Adeeb Yousufzai

Note: This article was taken from the blogger's Facebook wall. The publication does not necessarily agree with his personal views.