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

The Siege Within
spy agency, despite its notoriety, been used in such rampant political
manipulation. Many opposition candidates were often summoned
by ISI operatives and urged to join the pro-military alliance. Others
had even worse experiences. After successfully disqualifying Benazir
Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, the former Prime Ministers, Musharraf had
removed his two main rivals from the election field. With the leaders
of the largest parties in exile, Pakistan for the first time witnessed an
election campaign through remote control.
Musharraf thought he had the elections all sewn up. The ISI had
assured him that the race would produce what he wanted: a friendly
Parliament full of ‘new faces’. And he had no reason to doubt his
spooks. The MMA would be a counterbalance to the liberal opposition
parties, he was told. The mullahs had won only two seats in the
previous elections, so they would not be a threat this time either, only
a menace to the opposition. But that assessment went awry, despite
the micro management of the elections.
The MMA took full advantage of the fragmentation of the liberal
parties generated by the military establishment. Despite their conflict
over Musharraf’s turnaround on Pakistan’s Afghan policy, the traditional
link between the military and the Islamists had not been fully severed.
Both considered the liberal Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan
Muslim League to be their main adversaries. The two sides mended
fences on the eve of the polls after a three-hour meeting between
Musharraf and Qazi Hussein Ahmed, chief of Jamaat-i-Islami, the most
vocal critic among the Islamists. He reminded Musharraf that his party
had always stood by the military, despite their differences over the
regime’s support of the USA.
There was also a marked softening in the government’s rhetoric
against religious extremism. Islamic activists rounded up during the
anti-American protests were freed. While many anti-military politicians
were barred on corruption charges, or disqualified by the clause that
required a candidate to have a university degree, the Islamic candidates
were given a free hand. Mullahs with madrasa education were allowed
to run. The military government even allowed Azam Tariq, the leader
of the outlawed sectarian-based party, the SSP, to stand for a National
Assembly seat. 6 Azam Tariq, who was alleged to have been involved in
scores of murder cases, was freed on bail. The Musharraf government,
which had vowed to eliminate extremism, had apparently given its
blessing to a known terrorist. The politics of expediency cost both
Musharraf and the country dearly.
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