Since the ban imposed by Pakistan's government on radical religious outfits, a new jihadi organization called al-Saiqa has emerged. Al-Saiqa has declared Pakistan Darul Harab (the home of war) and Darul Kufar (home of infidels) and says it will carry out attacks on law-enforcement agencies. In the first armed assault in Pakistan since the ban, the new group hit a Frontier Constabulary (FC) patrol with rockets and sub-machine guns at Thakot in the North West Frontier province. Several of the constabulary were injured. Handwritten Urdu pamphlets bearing al-Saiqa's name were found after the attack. They are said to criticize the government's policies: "Stop meddling in the affairs of Deeni Madaris, the religious institutions are the fort of Islam and we are its soldiers ... the guerrilla war in Pakistan will continue till the Islamic revolution. Now the bullets will not stop. Every Muslim should know that initially every guerrilla war is taken in a casual way but it expands gradually. We take prior responsibility for every attack and killing of law-enforcement men in Pakistan ... it is our duty to wage jihad against this non-Muslim government."
This would be the military arm of the indignant fundos opposing Musharraf, probably with the help of elements within ISI. Throw in some unemployed Talibs and some jihadis who escaped Afghanistan with intact skins, and you've got a force ready to roll. This gives the Pak government the opportunity to shoot as many of them as they find doorknob dead - if they want to take it. Show a few links between the wild-eyed killers and the maulvis, and they can be dismantled, too. And find who they're tied to in the intel services and Pakland could be thoroughly cleaned up. Of course, if they don't take the opportunity, Musharraf could end up with the country yanked out from under him and becoming the New Afghanistan. This should be a very bad time to go into the terrorism business - we hope. |