Operation Silence of Lal Masjid has many similarities with Operation Blue Star. The consequence of Blue Star was the assassination of Indira Gandhi. Musharraf, too, may meet a similar fate. The bloodbath in Operation Silence has taken toll of more than 100 people, including several Islamic militants and foreign mercenaries. Commandos have suffered 10 casualties.

The structure of Lal Masjid was like a big fort. It was built in 1965 during the regime of Ayub Khan. It has 75 big rooms, a vast courtyard, and a huge basement, apart from many bunkers. In all, 6,000 Taliban (Islamic students) were getting education and training. Lal Masjid is situated in the heart of Islamabad. The Pakistani Parliament is nearby. The headquarters of the powerful ISI are a stone's throw from it.

Zia-ul-Haq can take the credit of transforming Pakistan's armed forces into jihadi mode. He entrusted Brig SK Malik to write a book on the Islamic concept of war. In that book titled The Quranic Concept of War he propounded the theory that if you create terror in enemy's camp, half the war is won. This was practised when Pakistan-sponsored Taliban forces fought the Russian Army in Afghanistan. America wholeheartedly supported these Taliban then. From that time itself, Lal Masjid and ISI operators were hand in glove. In North-West Frontier Province and Baluchistan, hundred of madarsas were built. Latest weapons and technology were supplied to Taliban fighting Russian Forces. The job of the madarsas was to indoctrinate the students in Islamic fundamentalism and that's why Lal Masjid was of immense importance to Pak rulers.

With Muslims taking an anti-American stand, Musharraf, as an ally of US' war on terror, lost his popularity and earned public ire. By launching Operation Silence, he is trying to kill four birds with one stone. Off late, the US has been critical of Musharraf. It has candidly told him that he should not fight elections in uniform. China, too, was unhappy though its relationship with Pakistan in military and nuclear technology is quite deep for the applecart to be disturbed.

The Lal Masjid Taliban raided a number of massage parlours alleging that these were practically working as brothels. Six Chinese women were kidnapped by Lal Masjid women Taliban which annoyed China.

Many strategic thinkers have concluded that Operation Silence has been executed under Chinese pressure. Nevertheless, it go Musharraf kudos from the US, Britain and China.

Second, Musharraf was at the receiving of the Pakistan elite because he removed the Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhary. The elite in general, and lawyers in particular, protested against Musharraf in a manner unheard of in Pakistan. Iftikhar became a hero. For Musharraf, it became difficult to pacify the agitating people.

Third, Baluchistan has been on the boil. Balochs want an independent State and the Pakistani establishment could visualise no other means to handle them other than by opening fire. Fourth, the West, particularly the US, had lost faith in Musharraf. Its financial institutions had started squeezing finances to Pakistan.

All these vital issues have been relegated to the background and the operation against Lal Masjid has come centrestage. A large number of Punjabis, Sindhis and Muhajirs are not unhappy with the operation. And the fundamentalists are in rage. On July 10, people came out on the streets shouting anti-Musharraf slogans. The Multan rally, particularly, rendered the impression that whatever counter-measures are taken by the Government, they will not take it lying low.

I have a feeling that the operation will inflame a large number of fundamentalists and Musharraf's strategy of killing four birds with one stone will boomerang. Though the military brass may be happy with Operation Silence, the ISI is quite concerned as the operation is being seen as a huge setback to its long-term strategy.

Suffice it to say then that the activities at Lal Masjid were acquiring dangerous proportions. Their fatwas and their blatant kidnappings of policemen bear a resemblance with the functioning of the erstwhile Taliban Government in Afghanistan.

Recently Pakistan's Tourism Minister went to Europe. In a picture, she was shown hugging her European counterpart. Lal Masjid decried the embrace and she had to resign.

Before the crackdown, Musharraf had offered them a dialogue and appointed former Prime Minister Choudhary Shujat Hussain for the same. The dialogue broke down even before it could start. For, the hardcore elements embedded for years in the Lal Masjid did not agree to surrender the foreign jihadis.

Courtesy: www.dailypioneer.com, July 15, 2007