Generally speaking

Whatever may be the true dimension of the last week8217;s assassination attempt against Pervez Musharraf, there is no denying that he has put himself at greater risk after his belated confrontation with the radical clerics of the Lal Masjid in Islamabad. Last Friday8217;s incidents constitute the most serious threat to Musharraf8217;s life since the two bold attempts on his motorcade in December 2003. In the charmed life that Musharraf leads, the greater the threat to his life the stronger the international support to him. India, which used to resent this trend, now finds itself in the same position as the US and the West 8212; too heavily invested in the persona of Musharraf.

It is tragic that Musharraf has not put the generous Western backing and peace on his eastern borders to more productive use at home. Having found himself at the helm of Pakistan at the historic moment of September 11, 2001, Musharraf had every opportunity to cleanse the nation of Islamic radicalism and put Pakistan firmly on the path of economic and political modernisation. Instead, he has tended to soft-pedal the extremist threat to Pakistan. Unwilling to abandon the decades long instrumentalising of radical Islam for national security goals in Afghanistan and India, Musharraf has sought to play both sides of the street. After the Lal Masjid confrontation, cynics would argue, Musharraf might be under greater pressure to demonstrate that he has not turned against Islam.

India would, however, hope that after Lal Masjid and the new attempt against his life, Musharraf would seek accommodation with pro-democracy forces in Pakistan. While Musharraf8217;s negotiations with the Pakistan People8217;s Party led by Benazir Bhutto have stalled in recent weeks, a settlement between the two is not beyond the realm of political imagination. India has rightly been a silent spectator amidst the deepening political crisis in Pakistan. After this week8217;s tumultuous developments, India must consider discreet but definitive steps to encourage a political reconciliation in Pakistan between the Army and the pro-democracy movement.