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The Inquiry: Is Pakistan Serious About Tackling Militants?

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif

20/01/2015

Is Pakistan Serious About Tackling Militants?

BBC World Service - The Inquiry, Is Pakistan Serious About Tackling Militants?

Will Pakistan’s new promise to "eliminate" militants be met?

Pakistan has long been accused of playing a double-game when it comes to militants. What to make of the prime minister’s declared "war" against them?

The murder of more than 130 students at an Army school in Pakistan last month shocked the world. In the following days, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif promised a comprehensive campaign to defeat the Taliban. More than 50,000 Pakistanis have died in militant attacks since 9/11. Pakistani presidents and prime ministers have previously vowed to crack down on militants. But the United States and others have said Pakistan has long harboured "snakes in the back yard" – militants who sometimes benefit the state's interests. Prime Minister Sharif says no longer will there be a distinction between "good" and "bad" Taliban. "We have resolved to continue the war against terrorism till the last terrorist is eliminated," he said. Is he right? Will this time be different? As we'll hear, the stakes extend beyond Pakistan's borders. Experts include a man who has negotiated with the Taliban, a historian on the rise of militancy and a retired Pakistani Army brigadier general.

(Image: Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Credit: Reuters)

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