(Pakistani lawyer being arrested by plainclothes police :AP photo)
Those who are following the turmoil in Pakistan know that General Musharraf is in all sorts of trouble. He has a vipers’ nest of Al Qaida, Taliban and their sympathizers on the western border. The US government has been paying the "friendly" government of Pakistan mega bucks to catch them. Musharraf and his army have obliged spottily and reluctantly on that front. Occasionally they even make peace with the people they are supposed to nab. But with his political future becoming uncertain and the fire of extremism blazing in his own backyard, Musharraf has decided to crack down on the really "dangerous" elements of Pakistani society – its lawyers, journalists and human rights activists. In prosperous nations, members of these professions are frequently dismissed as greedy, opportunistic, windbags and kooks. But in other parts of the world where democracy and political freedom are fragile commodities, these reviled professionals often provide the front and rear guard defense against totalitarianism.
Accidental Blogger 