June 6, 2004 ☼ Foreign Affairs
This is an archived blog post from The Acorn.
Unable to control the spiraling sectarian violence in Pakistan, Musharraf’s intelligence agencies are seeking the assistance of the very jihadi leaders they banned under US pressure. So the ISI is back in bed with Masood Azhar, Fazlur Rehman Kahlil, Abdullah Shah Mazhar, Ali Sher Haidri, Ahmad Ludhianvi - all leaders of banned jihadi outfits. These gentlemen are certainly going to extract a price for their cooperation.
Sources did not specify the concessions in detail, but said the government could exempt the militants from reporting to the police regularly and allow organisational activities which would be limited to preaching. It is mandatory for a jihadi member to report to the police before he leaves the area he lives in.
“It will not be a retreat, but an effort to protect the security of the country and foreign interests. It is necessary to give them a chance to mend their ways,” an official told Daily Times.
He said the experiment to deal with the militants sternly had failed. The official said the militants who had been engaged in Afghanistan also had links with Al Qaeda. “When the government turns the screws on them, they take Al Qaeda cover which is more dangerous than giving them some liberties. After all they are Pakistanis and we can persuade them to curb their unlawful activities,” the official said. Sources said the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Muhammad and proclaimed terrorist groups would not be given any concessions. [Daily Times][Enlightened moderation](http://www.www.nitinpai.in/archives/2004_06.html#000799) is easier said than done, after all.
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