No going back for Musharraf in fight against extremism: Paper

The Americans may not be that alarmed to see the collapse of the 10-month-old cease-fire between the Pakistan Government and tribals in volatile South Waziristan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

London, July 19 : The Americans may not be that alarmed to see the collapse of the 10-month-old cease-fire between the Pakistan Government and tribals in volatile South Waziristan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).

It is also a ground reality that in the wake of the operation on the Red Mosque and the suicide attacks on government troops that followed, there is no going back for President General Pervez Musharraf

According to The Times, Musharraf now faces the challenge of renewing his fight against extremism. The paper says that is already apparent through the movement of armed forces to the North West Frontier Province, and the sending of more troops to Waziristan, which is the centre of tribal support for extremism.

However, it adds that Musharraf's major difficulty will be to assuage the public anger in tribal areas over his raid on the Red Mosque.

The paper says that the escalation of violence by militants, has added to the President's long list of problems, including the political crisis which has developed over his sacking of Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhamamd Chaudhry.

It is, therefore, fair to describe him as embattled, says The Times, adding that the militants are able to exploit that wave of anger against the Government post Red Mosque to step up their activities.

ANI