How could a powerful ruler not protect his own government despite imposing an 'emergency' 17 years ago, on this very day, November 3, 2007? He had not only usurped the superior judiciary but also banned top TV programme anchors and political activities.

It was not an 'emergency-plus' but rather a 'coup-plus', as no ruler who had come to power by removing an elected prime minister had ever before tried to save his rule through another extraordinary action. But, on the same night, the then-powerful Supreme Court's seven-member bench declared his order as 'extra-constitutional'.

Here is the inside story of how Musharraf planned to remain in power for another 10 years but the year actually turned out to be fatal for his powerful rule. Some well-connected sources close to the late Gen Pervez Musharraf revealed that a 'secret report' submitted to him in January 2007 made him 'overconfident' and a bit arrogant.

The report, based on a 'survey', revealed that some of his actions and decisions had pushed his popularity rating to 70 per cent. Five major decisions and actions contributed to his fall despite the imposition of emergency.

First, he sacked former Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on March 9, 2007. Second, the May 12 bloodshed in Karachi, which occurred in an attempt to stop the deposed CJP's procession.

Third, the Lal Masjid operation, which led to a rise in suicide bombings across Pakistan. Fourth, he ignored American advice against imposing emergency, as doing so could jeopardise the deal with former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Finally, he had not the slightest idea that he was losing popularity even among his own 'constituency', as he was kept in the dark about ground realities. The January report had also suggested that, in order to prolong his rule at least until 2017, Musharraf should mend fences with one of the two popular parties, namely the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

His then ally, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), had failed to meet expectations and could not weaken his arch-rival, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), led by deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif. At the time, Nawaz was in Saudi Arabia under a 10-year deal with the Musharraf government, which had sent him into exile after former president Rafiq Tarar condoned his life imprisonment.

The myth of 70 per cent popularity was not different from the 2001 'referendum', much like Gen Zia-ul-Haq's 1984 referendum, which these military rulers won by over 90 per cent against ground realities. What followed the January report was the first 'secret meeting' outside Pakistan between President Musharraf and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Sources said Musharraf ignored suggestions from some of his colleagues that he should at least take PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain into his confidence. Interestingly, the meeting took place months after Benazir and Nawaz had signed the Charter of Democracy (CoD), an accord that had made the then-ruling elite nervous.

The meeting was just the beginning of the final agreement under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), under which all cases against former president Asif Ali Zardari and other political opponents were to be withdrawn.