Four military dictators of Pakistan repeatedly did the same thing and gave the same reasons for their military intervention. Their statements at the time of their takeover are very much similar and shows the same mindset of the military rulers. Ayub Khan on 8 0ctober 1958 said, 'This is a drastic and extreme step taken with great reluctance but with the deepest conviction that there was no alternative to it except disintegration and complete ruination of the country. Yahya Khan on 26 March 1969 said, 'The armed forces could not remain idle spectators of this state of near anarchy. They have to do their duty and save the country from utter disaster. Zia-ul-Haq on 5 July 1977 said, 'I was obliged to step in to fill the vacuum created by the political leaders. Musharraf on 13 October 1999 said, 'I wish to inform you that the armed forces have moved in as a last resort to prevent any further destabilization. Contrary to the superman myth created by the power hungry Generals they achieved the opposite of what they had promised. They failed to substantiate the orchestrated myth that Generals can run the country better than their civilians. Ayub Khan laid the foundations of disintegration and complete ruination of the state. Yahya Khan could not save the country from disaster. In fact, he was responsible for the humiliating disaster in 1971. Zia-ul-Haq created the unmanageable vacuum, which he had promised to fill up. Musharrafs last resort putsch promoted destabilization instead of preventing the same. Each time the garrison took over the country it received the support of an opportunist section of the Muslim League and a motley of religious parties. Yahya Khan was the main cause of the break-up of the country. Zia-ul-Haq committed judicial murder of the first popularly elected Prime Minister of the country. Musharraf has yet to clear his name form the charge of connivance over the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. The four Generals messed up and nearly paralyzed all institutions of the state and fatally disrupted the political and economic growth of the Republic. General Pervez Kayani deserves full credit for depoliticising the armed forces of the country. This refreshingly positive development provides a golden opportunity to our politicians to prove that they can run this country without internal and external props. B A MALIK, Islamabad, October 29.