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Musharraf Expected To Increase Crackdown On Jihad Bodies
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| Musharraf to address nation |
By IOL Correspondent in Islamabad Aamir Lathif
ISLAMABAD, Jan 12 (IslamOnline) - Amidst a night-long swoop on Jihadi activists all over the country on Friday and Saturday, Pakistani President Gen Pervez Musharraf is expected to address the nation on Saturday, at 7.30pm, over state-owned Television and Radio.
The raids on Jihadi activists throughout the country have made many people speculate about what Musharaff will announce in what is being dubbed a "historical address". Many are suspecting immense U.S. pressure.
Pakistani Police raided five religious schools (Madaris) in Karachi, and arrested at least 30 workers of Lashkar-e-Tayyeba, Jesh-e-Muhammad, Sipah-e-Sahaba and other religious organizations.
They have also raided religious schools and houses of Jihadi activists in Hyderabad, Lahore, Multan, Nawabshah, Rawalpindi and other cities and arrested some 200 of these activists.
Collecting funds for Jihad, setting up of camps for the same and using loud speakers for inflammatory speeches against rival sects is also expected to be banned.
The speech, which has attracted a great deal of international attention following a meeting of President Musharraf with a nine-member bipartisan delegation of U.S. senators, will unfold a number of tough measures against the "militants and extremist" elements, source told IslamOnline's correspondent.
However, they dispelled the impression that the president would announce some fundamental changes in Pakistan's half-a-century-old stance on Kashmir issue.
There was no question of any shift in the Kashmir policy, they said. This, analysts believe, was not because of the pressure of religious parties but also within the army ranks which had had a long commitment with Kashmir cause.
The sources disclosed that the president was himself writing his speech, which was awaited as keenly in Pakistan as in India. The U.S. senators announced that it would lead to de-escalation of current tensions and initiation of talks on Kashmir issue.
They also said that it would open a new chapter in India-Pakistan relations, adding that it would change the course of history.
The sources said that no major concessions, particularly on the issue of Kashmir, would be announced in the speech. They claimed that the president would not accept the Indian government's demand of handing over 20 alleged terrorists involved in suicide attack on New Delhi's parliament.
They also said that the president would take the nation into confidence over the measures being adopted by the government in line with its policy of curbing extremism and militancy.
They recalled that the president before his visit to Nepal had held a meeting with the provincial governors and police officials to chalk out a comprehensive plan for developing a moderate and tolerant society.
Sources said the anti-terrorism law was passed by the government in August last year with the ban on Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and Sipah-i-Muhammad, armed wings of Sipah-i-Sahaba and Tehrik-i-Jaferia respectively.
The president is expected to announce a ban on Sunni Sipah-i-Sahaba and Shiita Tehrik-i-Jafria also. However, the chances to ban Lashkar-e-Tayyeba nd Jesh-e-Muhamad are bright. Jesh and Laskar have already changed their names as " Tanzeem-Al-Furqan", and Jammat-al-Dawa respectively nosing the expected ban.
On the Kashmir issue, the president would reiterate his policy of holding dialogue with India, any time, anywhere, they said.
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