An impressive economic turnaround, historic movements to peace with India, and an ever freer media.
**Musharraf more popular than Benazir, Nawaz: Economist **
In a clear boost to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf who wants to keep his uniform and seek a second term, a British magazine says he is more popular than former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif who are challenging him from exile. Quoting the findings of a survey, Economist says Musharraf has ‘generally proved much better at running the country than either Nawaz Sharif or Benazir Bhutto’, who are attempting a political comeback ahead of next year’s general elections. In dealing with arch rival India too, the magazine gives full marks to Musharraf. ‘Remarkably, given a career spent fighting India, he had done more to make peace than any his predecessors,’ the report noted. The magazine praised the economic reforms introduced by Musharraf that had helped the country achieve seven percent growth despite the fact that when he took over, the economy was in a crisis. But the survey asserts that these sensible reforms have almost all only been partially or corruptly implemented. It adds that Musharraf is clinging to his job by manipulation and with the backing of the army, and that by sabotaging Pakistan’s fragile democracy to meet his own ends, he may have made the country even more dangerous’. The economy has become ‘tigerish’, it says, but notes that foreign investors are still keeping away.
‘General Musharraf inherited an economy in crisis. Shackled by sanctions and parched of capital, Pakistan had defaulted on foreign debts,’ said The Economist, adding: 'Thanks partly to continued fiscal prudence and some sensible reforms, Pakistan has notched up average growth of seven percent over the past three years, about the same as India. ‘Six years on, General Musharraf is still in charge and the economy has been transformed,’ the magazine noted. In the financial year to mid-2005, it grew by 8.6 percent, the highest in two decades, followed by a 6.6 percent rise in the financial year ended June 30, The News daily said, carrying details of the survey conducted for the magazine by James Astill. On Musharraf’s initiative to start a dialogue with India, the magazine said peace in South Asia is now more possible than in the past. ‘He then surprised many by throwing himself into peacemaking with India.’ Peace on the subcontinent is still hard to imagine, but it may be more possible than at any time since the Independence in 1947, it said. Referring to the Siachen glacier, The Economist said: ‘One big test of good intentions for both sides is the Siachen glacier in Kashmir, the world’s highest battlefield, from which they have been talking of withdrawing troops.’ It said if both Pakistan and India ‘can reach agreement on Siachen, they can probably settle a couple of smaller border disputes as well.’
As till also applauds Musharraf for the pledges that he has made to crack down on extremism and to promote ‘enlightened moderation’. Whilst Musharraf denounces extremism, he has proved reluctant to crack down hard on the killers. The survey indicates that the reason for this is two-fold. Musharraf, A still states, distinguishes between truly dangerous militia and those he thinks he can control. The other reason is that General Musharraf is afraid of the potential support that the extremist groups can muster. But some liberal progress may emerge from General Musharraf’s rule. **He has liberated the media, meaning that Pakistanis now have more access to information about the world outside Pakistan. TV viewers can increasingly watch foreign channels, including those from India, the magazine notes. **
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