Questions concerning Pakistan's stability, and its potential reliability as a partner is the ongoing struggle to contain Islamic radicalism in Central Asia, are being fueled by recent moves by President Pervez Musharraf that appear to enhance the military's role in the country's political life.
Musharraf sparked a political uproar after telling the British Broadcasting Corp. on April 13 that he was undecided as to whether he would relinquish control over the army by the end of the year.
Editor's note:
Ahmed Rashid is a journalist and the author of two books.
