Pakistan, considered to be a rogue country, continues to emit intriguing signals. Known as a haven of terrorists, in particular Islamist ones, Pakistan occasionally cracks whips on terrorists’ hide-outs and training centers, dotting the porous Pakistan-Afghanistan borders, in a bid to placate the United States of America. Reports in the media that the Pakistani army had leveled a madrasa in a hamlet on the border on its own had a few takers. Little wonder, within no time, reports started pouring that it was a joint exercise by the United States and Pakistani forces in search of a high profile terrorist kingpin, Ayman al-Zawahiri, who is known as the second man in the hierarchy of the al-Qaida, the terrorist organisation. Not only this, reports authoritatively says that it was not an air attack by the Pakistani helicopters alone but it was carried out by a U.S. Predator drone. It is a different matter that the smart terrorist once again succeeded in escaping. However, Pakistan continues to deny that the air raid was carried in collaboration with the U.S.

Perhaps, political expediency demands such posture. Pakistan’s president Perwez Musharraf cannot dump the Islamic fundamentalists who thrived under Pakistan’s patronage though at the initiative of the U.S. The public in Pakistan often convey its disapproval of the government’s action in this regard. Demonstrations are held all over Pakistan against such raids. The public mood remains anti-U.S. The Pakistan government too can go on against the terrorists to some extent as the president enjoys the political support of the obscurantists and fundamentalists in the country’s politics where arch rivals Nawaz Sharief and Ms. Benazir Bhutto have joined hands to challenge Musharraf. On the other hand, Pakistan is not in a position to chart out its way independently. It has to obey the instructions of its long time ally the United States of America.

Pakistani intelligence sources say they have Zawahiri ‘boxed’ in about 70-square kilometer area on Pakistani-Afghanistan border, and the dreaded terrorist should be dead or captured in the next few months. Perhaps, it will be a personal gift from Musharraf to the U.S. President Bush on the eve of the next elections in the U.S.

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