The government insists that al Qaeda has been destroyed in Pakistan. Technically, this is true. Al Qaeda had declared war on the government of Pakistan two years ago, and the government responded vigorously. Several al Qaeda attacks on senior government officials made this a fight to the death, and al Qaeda lost. But Islamic radicals still thrive in Pakistan, because Islamic radicalism against India (especially over who should control Kashmir) is very popular in Pakistan. Many of these Islamic radicals are sympathetic to the goals of al Qaeda, but are smart enough to keep silent, for the moment, on that subject. 

In Pakistan, near the Iranian border, a policeman was killed in a shoot out with drug smugglers. Such violence is increasingly common in this area.