VOA标准英语2011-Pakistan Governor’s Assassination Under

The killing 1 of the governor of Pakistan's most populous 2 province has highlighted the ongoing 3 clash in Pakistani society between secularism 5 and religious radicalism 7. Some of that radicalism is fueled by resentment 8 against a privileged and often secular 4-minded elite 9 who govern the country.

Severe polarization

The death of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer, allegedly at the hands of one of his own bodyguards 11, has underscored what journalist Ahmad Rashid called a "very, very severe polarization" in Pakistan.

Reuters

Governor of Punjab province Salman Taseer speaks to the media in Islamabad (File Photo - 28 Mar 12 2009)

On one side, say analysts 14, is what is believed to be a comparatively small but vocal 15 and determined 16 group of Islamic radicals 17, some of them extreme to the point of violence. At the other is a liberal and, to varying degrees, secular elite. And caught in the middle is the average Pakistani who is buffeted 18 by economic and political uncertainty 19.

Analyst 13 Lisa Curtis of the Heritage Foundation says Pakistan's founding father, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, envisioned a multiethnic, multireligious society with Islam as a unifying 20 force. But she says events have caused the country to drift further towards extremism.

"It's been events over the past 30 years, like the war against the Soviets 21 in Afghanistan, the Islamization policies of General Zia ul-Haq during the 1980s, which has really strengthened the Islamist forces and the more puritanical 22 sects 23 in Pakistan over the more traditional and moderate Sunni sects," said Curtis.

That strength has not translated into popular votes. When Pakistan has had free and fair elections, the religious parties have fared poorly, picking up only a sliver 24 of seats. But analysts say their power is in the street, not in the ballot 25 box.

Political power in Pakistan has usually rested with an educated, liberal, and often wealthy elite - at least when the country was not under military rule. With his push to roll back the country's blasphemy 26 laws, Punjab Governor Salman Taseer epitomized what radicals view as an alarming secular drift in Pakistan. Kamran Bokhari of the private intelligence firm, Stratfor, says radicals try to capitalize on that resentment against the governing class, as well as deepening economic woes 27, as a recruiting tool.

VOA

Protests in Multan, Pakistan, over the murder of Pakistan's Punjab province's governor Salman Taseer, 05 Jan 2011.

"Islamist militancy 28 is able to nurture 29 in this country because of that sentiment, because of that idea, this notion that somehow the ruling elite is going to tamper 30 with religion as they know it and is working with the West to do that," said Bokhari. "So this perception can drive a lot of people. And I can understand the motivation of this individual [the assassin]."

Roots of resentment

But, expressing her own views, Professor Hayat Alvi of the U.S. Naval 31 War College says Pakistanis' resentment of the government is not over religion, but over the basic issues of daily survival.

"When we had the floods in Pakistan, the devastating 32 floods, a few months ago, it wasn't religion that the poor were complaining about and secular government ruling them," said Alvi. "It was that they didn't get any relief from government emergency forces to give them food, water, and the basic necessities as victims of a major natural disaster. So at the end of the day, it's bread, the issue of bread and butter and basic necessities."

Analysts say extremists have penetrated 33 some elements of the government, especially the security agencies. Some officers of the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence directorate have been accused by officials of several governments of backing the Afghan Taliban and anti-Indian extremist groups.

Government's attitute

AP

The alleged 10 killer 34 of Governor of Punjab, Salman Taseer, being brought to a court in Islamabad, Pakistan, 05 Jan 2011.

Lisa Curtis of the Heritage Foundation says the government sends mixed signals when some radical 6 groups are allowed to operate unmolested by security forces.

"Unfortunately, when you have confusion at the official level in terms of groups that are conducting terrorist attacks in India - for example, the Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is allowed to function in society - and are not prosecuted 35, when the government is not cracking down on these extremist groups, unfortunately, I think, it emboldens 36 the groups and it sends a signal that they're beyond punishment or they're beyond the law," said Curtis.

Questions have already been raised in the Taseer killing. The alleged assassin, Mumtaz Qadri, said he killed the governor because he was a "blasphemer." There is as yet no evidence of a wider conspiracy 37, but analysts have pointed 38 out that Qadri was able to enlist 39 in the Elite Force of the Punjab police and join the governor's protection squad 40 despite reported warnings about his extreme religious views. Pakistani officials say Qadri pumped more than 20 bullets into the governor. No members of the security detail returned fire.