Pakistan is at the crossroads. Either it will fall into an abyss of fundamentalist rule or will harness its people’s power and defeat the rising threat from Islamists. The man who will decide that is army strongman, Pervez Musharraf. If he continues seeing only his narrow personal interest, he will continue with the emergency, disallow full political expression, and muzzle the press and the judiciary. This will push Pakistan into the arms of Al Qaeda and co., who are looking to set up a permanent base in the country.
Extremist elements are growing in strength; there is no doubt about that. It has been allowed to flourish in the border areas till now. The chickens are coming home to roost. It seems Swat valley will act as a launch pad for the takeover of Pakistan by the extremists.
Once called a paradise, the region dominated by Islamist hardliner cleric, Maulana Fazlullah. Pakistani soldiers sent in to recapture the area were beheaded. The Pakistani army, prodded by the US, is planning a major operation to gain control of it.
However, Musharraf should understand that the military alone is not Pakistan. Pakistan is its people. The only way to involve the people in the fight against terrorists is to allow free and fair elections which will throw up true representatives of the Pakistani people.
As such, the ordinary Pakistani is disenchanted by the low power games played out by Musharraf, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. Any army action in Swat valley now will be labeled as a mere American initiative and the common man will remain disinterested, or worse still, join the ranks of Islamists.
