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

Fault Lines
with turning the economy around from the verge of bankruptcy.
From near insolvency, it managed to steer the economy to a more
than eight per cent growth in 2005, with aid from the USA and other
western nations contributing in this upturn. Pakistan also benefited
post-9/11 from massive foreign exchange remittances from Pakistani
expatriates, which boosted both the stock market and real estate.
Pakistan witnessed the emergence of a new middle class, fuelled by
remittances and rising domestic incomes. This drastically changed
spending patterns, spurring demands for motorcycles, cars, and other
consumer goods.
But there is a downside. Despite an improvement on the financial
front, Pakistan remains plagued with problems of rising poverty and
unemployment. Around one third of the population still lives below
the poverty line. The highest incidence of poverty is in the rural
areas which comprises 60 per cent of the population. According to a
World Bank report, one third of Pakistan’s population lives in poverty
with two thirds in the rural areas. ‘Their poverty is both deeper and
more severe than urban poverty,’ says the report. The high economic
growth achieved by Pakistan has not produced a corresponding social
improvement. This has created an explosive social situation that could
easily be exploited by religious extremists.
In the US war on terror, few world leaders have produced results like
President Musharraf. His security forces have captured and delivered
to the USA several of the most wanted al-Qaeda terrorists, including
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Ramzi bin al-Shibh, the masterminds
of the 11 September attacks. There is, however, little evidence of him
showing the same kind of resolve when it comes to dealing with Islamic
militancy at home. In fact, within Pakistan his performance in the fight
against Islamic extremism is abysmal. The alleged Pakistani link to the
suicide bombings in London on 7 July 2005 and the foiled plot to blow
up flights from London to the USA in August 2006 indicate that the
international terrorist network continues to operate from Pakistan.
A major reason for Musharraf’s failure to root out extremism and
jihadist forces is a lack of consistency in his policies. Most of his
actions lack commitment, having been taken under pressure from the
USA and the international community.
Because of its strategic position, external factors play a huge role
in shaping Pakistan’s destiny. Although forces of radicalization have
roots inside the country, events in the region have a direct bearing
on Pakistan. The instability in Afghanistan has had a strong spill-over
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