Pakistan: The Myth of An Islamist Peril

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Pakistan: The Myth of an Islamist Peril

By Federic Grare, Visiting Scholar

Summary:

The risk of an Islamist takeover in Pakistan is a myth invented by the Pakistan military to consolidate its hold on power. In fact religious political parties and militant organizations are manipulated by the Pakistani Army to achieve its own objectives, domestically and abroad. The army, not the Islamists, is the real source of insecurity on the subcontinent.

Sustainable security and stability in the region will be achieved only through the restoration of democracy in Pakistan. The West should actively promote the demilitarization of Pakistan's political life through a mix of political pressures and capacity building. Enlarging the pool of elites and creating alternative centers of power will be essential for developing a working democracy in Pakistan.

Policy Brief:http://www.carnegieendowment.org/files/45.grare.final.pdf