Frontline Pakistan : The Struggle With Militant Islam - Arz-e-Pak
Frontline Pakistan : The Struggle With Militant Islam - Arz-e-Pak
Frontline Pakistan : The Struggle With Militant Islam - Arz-e-Pak
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<strong>The</strong> Siege <strong>With</strong>in<br />
confidence vote against Musharraf’s military government. More than<br />
60 per cent of the votes went to the parties opposed to the military<br />
regime. For all its pre-poll manipulation, the military failed to contain<br />
the liberal forces. <strong>The</strong> <strong><strong>Pak</strong>istan</strong> People’s Party received 25.8 per cent of<br />
the total votes cast, with the pro-military <strong><strong>Pak</strong>istan</strong> Muslim League (Q)<br />
trailing behind with 25.7 per cent. <strong>The</strong> <strong><strong>Pak</strong>istan</strong> Muslim League (N)<br />
bagged 9.4 per cent, less than the MMA’s share of 11.6 per cent. <strong>The</strong><br />
situation would have been worse for the General, had the elections<br />
been conducted in a free and fair manner.<br />
European Union observers called the elections ‘flawed’. In a<br />
scathing criticism of the election process, their report said that the<br />
secrecy of the vote was compromised and the count showed serious<br />
shortcomings. <strong>The</strong>y reported that the Election Commission of <strong><strong>Pak</strong>istan</strong><br />
had failed to curb the abuse of state resources, particularly, in favour<br />
of pro-military political parties. 10<br />
<strong>The</strong> polls had created a horizontal polarization, with all four<br />
provinces going in different directions. While the North West Frontier<br />
Province went to the MMA, Punjab sided with the pro-military PML<br />
(Q). In Sindh, the PPP maintained its stronghold in the rural areas,<br />
while the Muttehida Qaumi Movement (MQM), an ethnic-based party<br />
representing Urdu-speaking migrants, swept the urban areas. <strong>The</strong><br />
MMA broadened its support base in Balochistan.<br />
Musharraf faced a very tricky situation with his loyalists failing to<br />
get a majority in the National Assembly, which was required to form<br />
the federal government. He tried to strike a deal with the MMA, but<br />
the negotiations apparently collapsed after the MMA demanded the<br />
post of Prime Minister and stuck to its crucial demand that Musharraf<br />
give a firm date to step down as Chief of Army Staff. <strong>The</strong> <strong>Islam</strong>ists<br />
also called for the reversal of <strong><strong>Pak</strong>istan</strong>’s support for the USA and the<br />
withdrawal of American troops from the country. 11 <strong>The</strong>se conditions<br />
were obviously unacceptable to Musharraf. It was difficult for the MMA<br />
leaders as well to give up their crucial demands because of pressure<br />
from the hardliners in their ranks. <strong>The</strong> MMA was believed to have<br />
had the backing of some of the generals, who had been sidelined<br />
because of their opposition to Musharraf’s pro-American policy. <strong>The</strong><br />
right-wing generals, who had close links with the <strong>Islam</strong>ists, looked for<br />
an opportune moment to embarrass the President.<br />
Despite its divergence on important policy issues, like support for<br />
the US war on terror in Afghanistan and the crackdown on jihadist<br />
organizations, the <strong>Islam</strong>ists had not completely severed their ties with<br />
1