A Muslim nuclear state, ruled by a military dictatorship for two-thirds of its existence, modern-day Pakistan has become a key player in America's 'war on terror.' Author and journalist Ziauddin Sardar travels back to his homeland to explore how Pakistan has become engulfed in a bitter conflict between the two dominant forces in the country - the military and the mullahs.

Between them, these two powerful voices have shaped the identity of the country. They co-existed alongside each other and formed a successful alliance during the Afghan war against the Soviet Union. But the turning point arrived with 9/11 and President Musharraf's subsequent pledge to support the West and America.

Sardar examines the impact of this decision and how it has ignited an internal feud that threatens to tear the country apart. On one side the mullahs, sympathetic to the jihadi groups - and on the other, the military, under pressure from the West to crush these extremists. He travels across the country to show how this conflict is unfolding on the streets of Pakistan.

His journey begins in the notorious North West Frontier, near the Afghanistan border, a no-go area for journalists and a haven for the jihadi groups. He discovers that the Pakistani military have suffered major casualties in this region and have had to allow Islamic hardliners known as the 'Pakistani Taliban' to control and run this turbulent province.

Between the Military and Mullahs examines the army-hold in Pakistan and how the military has become a major financial power with unprecedented perks and privileges.

In the month Sardar is in Pakistan there is bloody evidence of the conflict. There are five suicide attacks, 15 people die, 25 are injured and 12 people are arrested as suspect suicide bombers. Sardar accompanies the anti-terror police as they embark on a raid to arrest suspect terrorists. He speaks to those accused and tries to gain an understanding of the jihadi mindset. He visits a renowned madrassah, reputed to have taught most of the Taliban leadership and speaks to a cleric about the role of the mullahs in religious schools and the intense scrutiny they face.

Sardar looks at the future for democracy in Pakistan. He meets the secular politicians from the mainstream political parties, who should be the military's natural allies, corruption and the voters who accuse politicians of corruption. This is a conflict that will shape the destiny of Pakistan and could have a far reaching impact for the rest of the world. It could lead to the strengthening of secular and democratic forces in the country or it could end with the country's nuclear arsenal in the hands of Islamic hardliners.

You can watch the rest of the program here: Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5