Taliban Must be defeated by Pakistan: Benazir Bhutto 
By Sonita Taylor 'Pakistan Times' UN Special Correspondent

NEW YORK (US): The Taliban must be defeated in Pakistan this year or the country risks falling under the sway of extremists much as Afghanistan did before Sept. 11, 2001, Pakistan’s ex-Prime Minister and PPP Chairperson Ms Benazir Bhutto said here Saturday.

Ms Bhutto also cautioned, what she phrased as; “the judicial crisis gripping Pakistan”, which she viewed; “could spin out of control and underscores the importance of restoring civilian rule”.

"They (the Taliban) have actually established a stronghold in the tribal areas of Pakistan. My fear is that if these forces are not stopped in 2007, they are going to try to take on the state of Pakistan itself," the Pakistan Peoples Party Chief was quoted by a foreign news agency as saying in an interview.

Her immediate concern was “the crisis created by making the Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhary as non-functional.”

"The crisis highlights that if you don't bring about a peaceful political transfer that events could get out of control because there is a lot of frustration.

The crisis has touched a raw nerve which has shown how deep-seated the frustration within Pakistan is," Ms Benazir Bhutto said.●