More than 80,000 Pakistani soldiers have been battling Islamic extremists in the mountainous northwest, but have failed to crush the insurgency. A unilateral cease-fire called by the militants this month has reduced the level of fighting.
However, violence continues, and a suspected militant attack late Saturday on a government checkpoint near Peshawar, in northwestern Pakistan, killed two paramilitary soldiers and one policeman, local police official Zulfikar Khan said.
Musharraf's critics have long complained that military operations have worsened the security situation in the border areas, and have urged the government to combat extremism through dialogue and economic incentives. They say a new approach is needed to build public support.
However, U.S. officials fear a dialogue-based strategy may end up giving al-Qaida and other hardline Islamists a sanctuary in Pakistan. American officials believe a 10-month cease-fire in mountainous North Waziristan, which collapsed last year, enabled al-Qaida and Afghan Taliban fighters to regroup after being driven by U.S.-led forces from Afghanistan.
The End
According to AP report,
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