Musharaf, U.S., and Pakistan

By MUHAMMAD HAFEEZ, PhD

LAHORE, Pakistan—It is generally believed that the United States is continuously and persistently supporting President Pervez Musharraf to keep him working as the president of Pakistan. This is false.America did support Musharraf as long as the U.S. perceived that its interests were actively being served by him and Pakistan.

The situation has changed over the last three years. Since then, the U.S. wanted change in the government in Islamabad but the incumbent government successfully hanged on and sustained the American pressure effectively. Several intrigues were witnessed in the recent years and the most significant conspiracy involved the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Pakistan passed through that subversion. The support from the U.S. recently started dwindling as our services to them became contradictive to the emerging national interest of Pakistan. more…