Pakistan Releases Some Prisoners

In what appears to be a move by Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf to assuage some of the criticism of his emergency rule has released many prisoners, as he heads to Saudi Arabia for a visit.

More than 3,000 people jailed under emergency rule have been released, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday, the latest sign that President Gen. Pervez Musharraf was rolling back some of the harsher measures taken against his opponents.

Interior Ministry spokesman Javed Iqbal Cheema put the exact figure of those freed in recent days at 3,416, including lawyers and political activists, and said more than 2,000 people remained jailed.

This may be seen as an encouraging sign, but it still is a wait and see climate, as there is always the possibility that rebel terrorists will use this opportunity to strike somewhere, and force the President to come down hard again on Pakistani rights. It seems that he is in a lose/lose situation, as his countrymen demand democratic freedom, and every step in that direction gives the insurgents more of a probabilty of toppling the government, and creating a terrorist state.

What amazes me is that he actually wants to keep this job, as believes that he can keep Pakistan intact, and free of rebel forces. For this he needs strength, diplomacy, and a large dose of luck!



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