Asian Window

Rageh Omaar in the National:

I was the last television reporter inside the madrassa at the Red Mosque in Islamabad before the Pakistani army surrounded the compound in July 2007. The 10-day standoff marked a turning point in Pakistan’s struggle with militants – the moment when the Taliban-backed insurgency moved from the tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan into the capital city and the heart of government. The confrontation ended with the death of the religious leader Abdul Ghazi and many others – the exact death toll was never divulged – and the destruction of the madrassa.

People in Pakistan, as well as the international community, were shocked by the violence of the assault. The incident sparked a fresh wave of disruption inside Pakistan and witnessed the beginning of President Pervez Musharraf’s demise. Until then, he had appeared unassailable to his western allies. He was the man who, in the wake of the attacks of September 11, had overnight turned Pakistan into Washington’s indispensable ally in the overthrow of the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan and in the wider war on terror.

More:

Similar Posts:

• Zardari on what the US should be doing to help him
• The terrorists want to destroy Pakistan, too
• Bangladesh to execute its founder’s killers
• Partnering with Pakistan
• Pakistan’s mixed record on anti-terrorism