HIS liberal credential has so far, been prodigious. Not only this own people are fairly impressed by the persona of his profound civility, even the women's group from India who recently visited Pakistan on a "parallel track” was moved by him. He caresses his puppies, dons well cut attire befitting the occasions and absorbingly enjoys Iqbal Bano s rendering of Faiz Ahmad's ghazal — features least expected from a crack commando of General Pervez Musharrafs backgrounds. He carefully maintains these images and uses his personal charm to give a human fag to his military regime. It comes handy in facing bolt domestic and international critics of harsh military rule.

Unlike his military predecessors he refrains from imposing martial law in the country alfliough they would have detested it in Pakistan so much used to it and rules in more of a free-wheel style. He let his civil courts to function as usual and the country's civil code to prevail. The court proceedings are also relatively open as evident from the trial of Nawaz Sharif, where unlike in Bhutto's trial twenty-one years ago the defence could be fairly vocal. In a sharp departure from the usual practices of military dictators in the past, he gives full freedom to the press and encourages free academic discussions of the issues confronting the nation.

The only point on which the general does not relent is that of Sie retum of democracy in the counting. He did not budge even during his Malaysian visit where he was pressed to agree to a two-year framework for the purpose. He routinely refused to §ive any specific plan for emocratisation in the country.

While the common people in his county are not in a hurry for its restoration. Musharraf is defended also by the members of the enlightened class.

Says Atiya Hiayatullah. the

member. Pakistan's National Security Council, "He has got a silent mandate on 12 October, 1999. I don’t understand what is there to be restored. The General does not want sham democracy, he wants to reconstruct democracy. There shouldn't be pre-occupation with the timeframe." It is not surprising that even after the General's six months of mtxed performance at the helm, his countrymen seem prepared to give him an indefinite grace period for national recovery.

Yet the General has already started to bump into difficult ground. None of the images built up around him worked to impress the visiting US president who served rather unceremoniously the toughest ever warning to Pakistan, the US' ally during the cold war years. The American warning centres mainly round two of its demands. The US wants to see democracy restored in Pakistan. although by all indication General Musharraf does not seem much pushed in this regard. He can afford to ignore President Clinton's prescription of democracy for Pakistan as long as he Is able to manage the domestic front. Now with Nawaz Sharif shackled for life and Benazir Bhutto in exile under conviction. Musharraf anticipates no immediate challenge to his authority. Sharifs PML is at the moment in tatter and will take long, if at all. to pose any problem for Musharrafs regime. Also in Pakistani tradition, the political forces can come up as an entity in the polity only with the military's blessing and patronisatlon.

Therefore, in all likelihood Musharraf would keep flouting

the West's dictate for a return to democracy with, of course, some cosmetic steps like local bodies election and all that.

Genera] Musharraf, however. faces acute problem with regard to another demand of the US President in which the latter categorically wanted Pakistan to rein in the religious militant groups operations across the border from Pakistan. Unless Pakistan obliges President Clinton and comply with his agenda on Pakistan, the country would be at the risk of total isolation. Because it is not just the US has condemned the military take-over, in Pakistan, and its alleged complicity in sponsoring terrorism. Since Musharrafs take-over in October last year, there has not even been a ministerial level visits between Pakistan and European Union countries while Pakistan's Commonwealth membership still remains suspended. The countries the General visited in a whirlwind tour of Southeast Asia were, at the best, lukewarm to Pakistan. He also visited several countries in the Arab world desperately in search of friends. Much to Pakistan's disappointment the Prime Minister of Turkey. Bulent Ecevit. and the President of 'Indonesia Abdurrahman Wahid - both Muslim countries - visited India without including Pakistan in their itinerary. General Musharraf could ignore this spectre of isolation and resort to strengthen its ties with China. Iran and Afghanistan in a major showdown with the West.

But it would be difficult for him to jold-shoulder the West because of Pakistan's worst ever

economic woes. Pakistan has to reschedule Its loan with the IMF and only America can Influence its outcome. Pakistan also has to bargain shortly another IMF-funded package of $3 bn for poverty reduction and growth project to replace the current $1.6 bn enhanced structural adjustment facility suspended since the nuclear test. Pakistan is already facing an account deficit of $1.2 bn on its import and foreign payment. Pakistan's disregard of American pressure at least to end the country's support to Islamic religious groups under these circumstances Is going to be disastrous for the monetary resuscitation that the country so desperately needs.

Musharrafs future hinges to his tough line on the issue of Kashmir. As in the past even now that line can be sustained by the religious militant groups who have been, for years, motivated and primed lor Jihad. It Will now be extremely difficult to hold back those militant groups who have already made their views clear. While the Harkatul Mujahideen says that it will end its Jihad only when the Indian Army withdraws from Kashmir, the Lashkare Toiba who provides suicide squads for Kashmir’s liberation now wants Islamic countries to form their own Security Council. In the meantime. Pakistan's military brass is also fairly Talibanlsed and known for its sympathy for the military groups. So much so that his government officials look baffled when the militants openly preach Jihad and often contradict government's policies. As a result. Musharrafs control over the armed militants is restricted and fraught with danger of violent backlash. He is indeed in the mesh of military's ranks who have been pressing him to ignore Clinton's sermon and continue with the low intensity conflict in Kashmir. Either way the general goes, he is Indeed in trouble.