Home pagePress CenterIn the Media Rick Barton, codirector of the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, was quoted by the Associated Press, “Analysis: Musharraf Loss Fallout Unclear."
In the Media | Detail
Rick Barton, codirector of the CSIS Post-Conflict Reconstruction Project, was quoted by the Associated Press, “Analysis: Musharraf Loss Fallout Unclear."
At first glance, the resounding defeat of President Pervez Musharraf's party in Pakistan's parliamentary elections might seem a setback to the U.S. war on terrorism.
After all, Musharraf has been a key ally in the fight against al-Qaida. The election results could bring heavy public pressure to bear on the next Pakistani government to cooperate less with the U.S.
Rick Barton, a Pakistan expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the role Musharraf will play in the new government is an open question. Should Musharraf voluntarily relinquish power, "it could lead to a peaceful transition and would signal the country has moved into another stage of political development," Barton said. If he hangs on defiantly, it could "essentially stalemate the system," Barton said.
The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a private, tax-exempt institution focusing on international public policy issues. Its research is nonpartisan and nonproprietary. CSIS does not take specific policy positions; accordingly, all views, positions, and conclusions expressed in these publications should be understood to be solely those of the authors.
