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The results of Pakistan's legislative elections on February 24 reflected voters' rejection of General Musharraf as well as their hope for change. For the new prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, who belongs to the party of the late Benazir Bhutto, assassinated in December 2007, the task will be far from easy. He has established a list of priorities for his government, while at the same time making it clear that he cannot perform miracles, particularly economic ones. Will the new government be able to meet the expectations of the Pakistani people? Will it have sufficient resources to tackle the immense challenges that lie ahead? Will it be able to translate its declared intentions into a redefinition of its relationship with the United States & its role in the "war on terror"? Will the army really renounce its role in politics? The months ahead will surely provide some answers. Adapted from the source document.

The chapter discusses the origins, which are fairly recent, of sectarian conflict & a culture of extremism in Pakistan, & the effects of the Iranian revolution & of the Taliban's emergence on increasingly volatile Sunni-Shia relations. State crackdowns on terrorist activities have proven largely ineffectual toward stemming the wave of jihadism among Pakistan's young & disenfranchised. Only a government commitment to addressing Pakistan's dire political, economic, & legal problems is likely to dissuade its alienated youth from embracing violence. K. Coddon

The chapter discusses the origins, which are fairly recent, of sectarian conflict & a culture of extremism in Pakistan, & the effects of the Iranian revolution & of the Taliban's emergence on increasingly volatile Sunni-Shia relations. State crackdowns on terrorist activities have proven largely ineffectual toward stemming the wave of jihadism among Pakistan's young & disenfranchised. Only a government commitment to addressing Pakistan's dire political, economic, & legal problems is likely to dissuade its alienated youth from embracing violence. K. Coddon

Reflects on consequences of Pakistan's anti-terrorist coalition with the US; discusses President Musharraf's political evolution, economic downturn, the Hawala (Hundi) informal money transfer system, foreign debt problem, political polarization, Kashmir policy, Jihad movements, and madrassas. Summaries in English and Spanish p. 468 and 484.