Musharraf completes 4 years in power

In contrast to the popularity earlier enjoyed by him in the international community for his commitment to crackdown on al-Qaeda, Taliban and Jihadi groups at home after Sept 11, Musharraf now appears to be coming under increasing pressure from the international community to crackdown hard on the resurgence of Taliban on the Pak-Afghan borders and Jihadi groups on the Line of Control.

Unlike last year, Pakistan has now been accused of encouraging cross border terrorism both by India and Afghanistan. Also, Musharraf, who had two crucial meetings with US President George W Bush in less than four months this year faces pressure to send Pakistani troops to Iraq to help the US forces stabilise the volatile political and military situation there.

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With domestic public and political opinion firmly opposing, Musharraf is in a quandary on sending troops to Iraq and hopes for a UN or Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) resolution to provide some kind of mandate to commit troops.

Meanwhile, criticising the human rights record of four years of Gen. Pervez Musharraf's rule in Pakistan, the Human Rights Watch has demanded the military ruler to stop harassment, torture and blackmail of political opponents, journalists and former government officials.

In a letter to the Pakistani President on the fourth anniversary of his seizing power in a coup, the US-based human rights watchdog agency charged him with emasculating judiciary and marginalising mainstream Opposition political parties and demanded he immediately restore democracy in the country. The letter also criticised Gen. Musharraf government for the continuing discrimination against women and minorities.

Raising concerns about Pakistan's collaboration with the USA in the "so-called" war on terror, it said the cooperation has been exemplified by a "disregard for due process". "Arbitrary arrests and detentions, allegedly with the support of the US authorities in Pakistan, have taken place with depressing regularity," it added. The last four years have seen the rise in activity by extremist religious groups and an increase in sectarian killing, it said, adding the military government's policy of marginalising political parties is partly to blame for it.

"Opposition legislators have told Human Rights Watch that they have been beaten, harassed and subjected to blackmail for opposing Gen. Musharraf's policies. In Pakistan, the judiciary has been emasculated, political parties rendered powerless, and extremist and sectarian religious parties strengthened under Gen. Musharraf's rule," said Brad Adams, executive director of HRW's Asia Division. "Gen. Musharraf should transfer power to a legitimate government now."