General (Retd) V.P. Malik, former Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army during the Kargil conflict, underlines the flawed doctrines of the Musharraf era that has pushed the country to the edge of the precipice

“Musharraf’s short-sighted policies have led to Pakistan losing much of its territorial sovereignty. The rising tide of Islamic militancy threatens to tear the country asunder.”

Pakistan Army does not resuscitate retired chiefs. The nation has no place for a military dictator forced to resign. So, the Musharraf era is history. But its four major legacies have left Pakistan in a mess.

Pakistan is facing its most serious internal security crisis due to jehadi terrorists encouraged by Pervez Musharraf, undeterred by 9/11. He used his cosiness with the Bush administration to re-engage Taliban as a proxy force in Afghanistan. Pakistani Taliban have now joined hands with al-Qaeda and developed their own political agenda. Wielding control over all seven tribal agencies in Federally Administered Tribal Areas, the militant organisation has spread across the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and are now targeting Islamabad as is evident from the Lal Masjid episode, attempts on Musharraf ’s life, assassination of Benazir Bhutto and the 20/9 Marriott Hotel blast. The possibility of their joining hands with Punjabi and Kashmiri extremist groups cannot be ruled out. Musharraf ’s short-sighted policies have led to Pakistan losing much of its territorial sovereignty. The rising tide of radical Islamic militancy threatens to tear the country asunder.

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