A Pakistani acquaintance of mine told me that it's not the Islamic extremists in Pakistan that Musharrraf is fighting. He said that Musharraf actually benefits from the presence of the extremists, and that in a number of different ways, he has actually supported them. My acquaintance said that the people Musharraf is fighting against and punishing in Pakistan is the moderates. The pro-democracy, pro-west moderates. Because those are the people who challenge his hold on power. Not the Islamic extremists.

He also said that with nuclear weapons in the hands of the Pakistani army, the nuclear weapons are already in the hands of extremists, and that it's the Pakistani military that is responsible for the spread of nuclear knowledge and materials from Pakistan to other countries. And he also said that as long as Musharraf is in power, there will never be peace in Afghanistan, because Musharraf and the Pakistani military see it as being in their interest to keep Afghanistan in a state of instability.