Pakistan's birthday overshadowed by extremist violence

Pakistanis are set to celebrate 60 years of independence today against a backdrop of Islamist bombings that have shaken General Pervez Musharraf's government.

Four civilians were killed by a roadside bomb yesterday in the volatile North West Frontier province, while security forces clashed with Islamic militants close to the Afghan border after their checkpoints were attacked.

Since the government's assault on the Red Mosque during a seige in Islamabad last month, more extreme elements - those who reject democracy and preach violence - have begun to assert themselves.

The anniversary has provoked an outburst of soul-searching among Pakistanis as they look across the border with deep envy at India's democracy, while their own military leader refuses to relinquish his army uniform.

"The current situation is bad because of this dictatorship, our loss of sovereignty, and the destruction of state institutions," said Imran Khan, the former cricket captain and MP who will be speaking at a rally of opposition parties in Rawalpindi today.

Conceived on the basis that the Muslims and Hindus of the subcontinent constituted two distinct peoples, Pakistan was created as the world's first confessional state. Controversy still rages over its original purpose. The country's modernists argue that the reasons for its establishment were chiefly economic, and that it was intended as a state for Muslims, not an Islamic state. But the ascendant Islamists, who once opposed any partition of historical India by the British, fail to appreciate the distinction.

More than 380 people have been killed in a surge of attacks and suicide bombings across Pakistan since early July. Most of the violence has been in the tribal regions, where the US and others fear al-Qa'ida and the Taliban are regrouping.

"Pakistan was created in the name of Islam. But we have been running it in the name of the Devil. The Devil must be jubilant," commented AH Khayal, a conservative columnist.

The Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz, acknowledged at the weekend that the political crisis and surge in Islamic militancy have tarnished the country's image abroad, resulting in a slowdown of economic growth over the past few months. "Whenever you have agitation and uncertainty, it affects your ability to deliver quality of results. That does not help to build the brand of any country," Mr Aziz said.

He added that the "politics of agitation" and the Red Mosque siege last month "have had an impact on the perception of Pakistan in certain quarters".

To mark today's anniversary, vast green flags bearing a crescent and star will adorn most buildings in major cities. There will be concerts featuring Pakistan's liveliest pop acts and traditional musicians. Fashion shows and parties will entertain late into the night. And thousands will pour into city centres to watch fireworks. But many Pakistanis will be wondering what there is to celebrate, as their president walks a tightrope in his attempt to survive in office having ruled out a state of emergency, for now.

For more than half of its history, Pakistan has been subject to military rule. No democratically elected government has ever completed a full term.

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