In the immediate aftermath of the attacks in America, the US was swift to engage General Pervez Musharraf. The ensuing dialogue must have been uncomfortable for the leader of Pakistan. On the one hand, there was ample evidence to link his country to the creation and indulgence of the Taliban movement, as a means of retaining an element of control over events in war torn, anarchic Afghanistan.
On the other, Pakistan has long teetered on the brink of state collapse because of economic mismanagement and corruption on an unimaginable scale and, more recently, economic and military sanctions following the nuclear tests in 1999.
Although Pakistan’s survival instincts are immense, reliance upon the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for lifeline credits remains the most important aspect of the government’s economic strategy.
