ISLAMABAD -- Stemming the flow of thousands of illegal weapons throughout Pakistan is not an easy task, but the government of Gen. Pervez Musharraf has promised this month to do just that with its launch of an aggressive cleanup campaign.

In the next few months, the results of that campaign will show whether the government's resolve to reduce the number of illegal weapons in Pakistan has begun to pay off.

Pakistan's thriving gun culture is largely the outcome of more than 20 years of conflict in neighboring Afghanistan, where warring factions have not only fought each other but also transported a part of their legacy to Pakistan.