Frontline Pakistan : The Struggle With Militant Islam - Arz-e-Pak

The Siege Within
Minister was just a figurehead as the President continued to call the
shots on most matters, particularly on foreign and economic issues. His
government, meanwhile, faced a tough challenge from a formidable
and vocal opposition in Parliament, especially from the religious right
who refused to accept the changes in the constitution made by the
President, giving himself sweeping powers.
The installation of an elected Parliament and a civilian administration
changed the country’s political dynamics. Musharraf came under
immense pressure to quit his job as army chief. The conflict between
Parliament and the military president over the changes in the
constitution had remained unresolved raising serious questions about
the sustainability of the new set-up.
The American attack on Iraq in 2003 gave a new impetus to the
Islamists to whip up anti-American and anti-Musharraf sentiments and
broaden their support base. ‘We can topple the government any time,’
boasted a senior MMA leader after a huge anti-war rally in Peshawar.
Bold and daring words inspired by what was, perhaps, the biggest of the
marches organized by the Islamic alliance across the country to protest
against the American aggression in Iraq. In a sight rarely seen in Pakistan,
thousands of protestors thronged to the rally, venting their anger against
Bush as well as General Musharraf. ‘Down with Bush’ and ‘Down with
Musharraf’ were the most common slogans. The unprecedented public
response to the MMA’s protest call had visibly boosted their confidence
and brought a new stridency to their supporters. 13
The Islamists successfully manipulated the popular revulsion against
the American attack and increased their credentials as the country’s
major political force. They were not yet in a position to force the
ousting of Musharraf, but they had certainly forced the government
into a tight corner and dictated their own political agenda. Musharraf
tiptoed on a tightrope. While trying to maintain its cooperation with the
USA in the war on terror, his administration scrambled to desperately
identify itself with the feeling on the streets and prevent public anger
from boiling over into an anti-government uprising. Massive anti-war
protests and across-the-board anti-American sentiment forced the
government to carry out a delicate balancing act by distancing itself
from the US operation, while at the same time not alienating the USA
or allowing the Islamist alliance to stoke anti-American fires to an
explosive point. 14
Pakistan’s stance of not supporting the US attack on Iraq helped the
government to some extent in defusing public anger, but Musharraf’s
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