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STRATFOR.com
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Kashmir Is Key for Pakistan's Extremist Problem
January 14, 2002
Summary
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf clamped down on his country's extremist Muslim movement over the weekend, banning five militant groups and arresting more than 1,200 people. Although Musharraf will face continued hostilities from extremist groups in the country over his actions, the bigger threat lies with public support for militants in Kashmir.
Photo Credit: l'Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Analysis
During a nationwide address Jan. 12, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf lashed out against extremist Muslim elements in his country and banned five militant groups, including the Kashmiri guerrilla organizations Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Within two days Pakistani security forces detained more than 1,200 accused Islamists throughout the country.
Although he is in the midst of a border crisis with India, Musharraf finds himself more threatened by his country's domestic politics. The president has chosen to suppress Pakistan's extremists while placating the army and the urban population. Although the militant crackdown will please Washington, Musharraf must tread a thin line regarding the disputed Kashmir region.
In his speech Musharraf praised the independence activists who are pushing for an end to Indian rule in Kashmir, but he attempted to make a distinction between native Kashmiris and foreign fighters who prefer the kind of violence recently seen with the Dec. 13 attack on India's Parliament. Musharraf has now placed himself in the awkward position of being pro-independence but anti-fundamentalist on Kashmir.
(The Rest of the Story)
(c) 2001 Stratfor, Inc.
Dan
Kashmir Is Key for Pakistan's Extremist Problem . . .