 Rageh Omaar and Farah Durrani follow the twists and turns of recent events in Pakistan, with extraordinary access to Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistani president, as he hands over command of the army to his trusted friend and confidant General Ashfaq Kayani.
View powerplay in Pakistan. Video hosted on Youtube. Musharraf confides in Rageh that the decision to leave the army was a deeply emotional one. He recalls the handing-over ceremony on November 29 as bittersweet.
"This army is my life. This army is my passion," he says. "I have loved this army. From tomorrow morning, this relationship will change, and I will be no more in uniform."
Musharraf has ruled the country since 1999, when he seized power in a bloodless military coup. Since then he has faced a rising number of chronic national difficulties from poverty and sectarianism, lack of accountability and trust in governance, to regional disputes in Baluchistan and Waziristan on the Afghan border - all from his joint position as military leader and president.
In a country with numerous influential religious-political parties that hold deep anti-American sentiments, his decision to become a key US ally in the attempt to oust the Taliban has proved to be intensely controversial.
Against the backdrop of an increasingly isolated military government, Rageh and Farah follow the increasing numbers of lawyers and judiciary who lead a grassroots opposition against what they describe as a military dictatorship.
With the promise of democratic elections eagerly anticipated in January, Rageh assesses the landscape for transition and change in government speaking to key political figures in the opposition movement including a focused Benazir Bhutto and a weary Imran Khan, now released from a spell in prison during the recent period of emergency rule imposed by Musharraf.
Few Westerners know much about Pakistan beyond media impressions of Islamic fundamentalism, communal violence and martial law, but it contains some of Asia's most mind-blowing landscapes, extraordinary trekking, a multitude of cultures and a long tradition of hospitality.
Pakistan is the site of some of the earliest human settlements, home to an ancient civilisation rivalling those of Egypt and Mesopotamia, and the crucible of two of the world's major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, both of which have their roots in the subcontinent. It's far more than the last hurdle before reaching India.
The best time for travelling to Pakistan depends on which part of the country you intend to visit. Generally speaking, Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab and the southern North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) are best visited in the cooler months between November and February. After that it gets uncomfortably hot. Northern NWFP, the Northern Areas and Azad Jammu & Kashmir are generally at their best from around May to October (although occasionally stormy) The trekking season is from late April to late October, peaking from mid-June to mid-September. The weather may be a little stormy during this time, but the mountain districts are usually still accessible.
Try to avoid visiting Pakistan during Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, which occurs in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (not the Gregorian calendar). Check the web for Ramadan dates or you may find yourself involuntarily joining in the fast, because activity is kept to a minimum and food can be hard to find (and, if found, often considered offensive if consumed publicly) during daylight hours.
In light of the recent assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, travellers to Pakistan should continue to monitor the security situation and take extreme caution when travelling in the country. Check out Safe Travel for updated government warnings or the Thorn Tree travel forum for insights from travellers.
Due to recent sectarian and political violence in Karachi, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Lahore, travellers are advised to pay attention to any consular warnings before visiting and to exercise very high levels of caution when in these cities and nearby regional centres. A bombing at a political rally in Karachi on 18 October caused around 100 fatalities. Travellers should avoid large gatherings and demonstrations.
Avoid travel to Waziristan, to northern and western Balochistan, western North West Frontier Province (NWFP), the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas and Agencies (FATA), and border areas other than official crossings. Visitors to upper Sindh are encouraged to notify authorities beforehand.
The Swat region in Punjab Province should be considered out of bounds as fighting between the army and militants is intensifying. Though tensions along the Kashmiri Line of Control have eased, travellers should keep abreast of the latest developments.
From: Aljazeera English
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