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

Fault Lines
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cafés, declaring them un-Islamic. The barbers are warned not to shave
beards, people are prohibited from playing music, even at weddings,
and from watching television. Women are barred from coming out of
their homes on their own. The Talibanization of Waziristan and the
rising power of the radical mullahs in parts of the North West Frontier
Province present a disturbing scenario. It will be difficult to contain
the spread of this trend to other parts of the country.
Musharraf’s support for the US-led war on terror, his tactical
cooperation with certain militant groups, and his refusal to embed a
culture of democracy and accountability have intensified social, ethnic
and religious differences in Pakistani society. These are the faultlines
from which a geo-political earthquake could at some point erupt – an
earthquake which would make the current regional security situation
look positively calm by comparison. Pakistan’s battle with itself is far
from over.