Yeah, well.
One could say something similar about a lot of places (T.I.A. comes to mind), Pakistan is still Pakistan.
It remains a vast mass of supposedly religiously-aligned population run by a class of elites that have no understanding, appreciation, or care about the masses they govern.
With the resignation of (General) Pervez Musharraf from the presidency on the 18th of this month, the political conflict returns to its previous incarnation. Nawaz Sharif, the insufferable former Prime Minister who was ousted by Musharraf's coup, and the notoriously corrupt Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of B. Bhutto (and heir to control of her family's political machine) are now hacking away at one another in a resumption of their parties' vicious contest for power.
Here's the breaking news version of the events in progress.
All this against the backdrop of ongoing militancy in the Frontier Territories and the most successful suicide bombing in some time by extremists inside Pakistan proper.
The biggest problem for outside observers is, who ever wins: what are they going to do about the fact that their country is about two steps short of falling into outright anarchy?
Because you can bet that the Islamist-Tribalist factions and The Taliban are just loving what they are seeing of this so far.
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I Read this, and I have heard Musharraf speak, and he's a smart guy, He was also smart in backing out. (My fear is that as Pakistan is now will be Briton in a generation, mostly because Pakistan's population is moving there.). But the difficulty is we have a country with a low respect for the law, and low social cohesion, trying to become an economic giant on the coast, but they could come apart easily and what about their nukes. Their military is still cohesive, but the Intelligence Service is rife with Salafists and players. Bhutto herself was a touch corrupt, but had stong ties to the West and the U.S. With her death, her (odious, and probably spineless)Husband is falling into the popular, and populist anti-Americanism. Nahwaz Sharif is as corrupt as any South American, though a hell of a lot more cynical. IT doesn't look good. On the plus side thugh if they do fall into Anaarchy, nothing would prevent out forces in Afghanistan from waltzing across the border and "Sterilizing" the lawless ttribal areas without the media or the international community watching closely.
Scott
Musharraf has a son in Boston- I wonder where Musharraf will go now?
I was just reading Musharraf's resignation came about as a "result of some hectic mediation by American, British and Saudi diplomats as well as some Pakistani generals."
In order for me to understand Pakistan, I would have to be more familiar with the PML-N and the PPP- And also the issue of the sacked judges-- especially, the if of the reinstatment of Justice Chaudhry--
What about those militant sanctuaries in the north- west? And also in Kashmir?
And is the Constitution subject to change now, again?
today-
Sharif has pulled his PML-N party - the country's second biggest - out of the multi-party governing coalition.
The reinstatment of the sacked judges is a big issue-
This Presidential issue is a big mess there!
Looks like Kashmir is continuing on with issues. The Kashmir Muslims there defying Indian curfew- with violence!(Srinagar) along with the four deaths, 15 journalists were beaten-
Plus a gun battle on Friday? (Near the Line of Control?)
Over acres of forest land to be given to the Hindus?
This reminds me of Georgia in a way- India/Pakistan claiming sovereignty over Kashmir-
I had to read about the Line of Control-- and the dispute of over 50 years-- Here is a great link-- I had to look up the word- plebiscite-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/south_asia/03/kashmir_future/html/default.stm
@Susan
re: Pakistan things -- did you see the Taliban's front organization inside Pakistan just got banned?
Tehrik-e-Taliban banned
Kashmir sure has been a troubled area-- unknown to me!
sounds like India has not been wanting to hold a plebiscite where the people of Kashmir would be free to choose to join India or Pakistan.
removed my comment-- helps to spell the names correctly-
According to that Muslim Khan, who now I know who he is, this ban is meaningless--
I see Zardari's charges were dropped-
another new place for me- Bajur--
The Khan guy says all military operations have to end there--
to me- as it sounds- the ban is not taken seriously by this spokesperson, Khan, for the Tehrik-e-Taliban-
@Susan
re:"to me- as it sounds- the ban is not taken seriously by this spokesperson"
well, yes.
Remains to be seen if the ban will be implemented, and if so, what results.
Pakistan, especially the Frontier, is a land where double-dealings and posturing are standard practice.
Remains to be seen if the ban will be implemented, and if so, what results.
Yes-- especially with Khan's scoffing!
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