Washington, Nov 6 : The proclamation of emergency in Pakistan will divert the Musharraf regime’s attention from the crucial task of fighting extremist forces, noted South Asian expert Teresita Schaffer has said.

“The text of the proclamation tells you why Musharraf moved, and what to expect. The first two paragraphs refer to violent extremism - which I agree is a mortal danger to Pakistan, and has been directed against the Pakistani state,” said Schaffer, who is the Director, South Asia Program, of the Washington based Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

“The next eight or nine refer to judicial decisions which Musharraf believes ‘interfere’ in the government, but which to me and many Americans appear to be a legitimate (though sometimes inept) exercise in judicial independence. Clearly, Musharraf’s move was designed above all to remove this alternative centre of authority,” she added.

Questioning Musharraf’s further actions, Schaffer said, “The government’s preoccupation will be to smack down protests and to eliminate the possibility that alternative centres of authority or even information will emerge.”

“The real danger is that the government will give a lesser priority to the very necessary work of asserting state authority against the extremists who are breaking the law by attacking army bases and launching suicide bombings,” the Daily Times quoted her, as saying.

The state of emergency will ensure that whatever Musharraf and the army do against extremist in the troubled Swat region or any other part of Pakistan will be done without the support of other elements on the political scene -support that the government could have had, if it had conducted itself differently, she opined.

Earlier, terming the proclamation of emergency as “a big embarrassment” for the Bush Administration, Schaffer had said that she would be surprised to see Musahrraf lasting in office even for six months. (ANI)