Well, since I last posted, Benazir Bhutto’s been assassinated; President Musharraf has asked for help from the British police; and elections have been postponed until February. What began in November as a constitutional law issue, which I posted on because of the suspension of the Supreme Court and the role of lawyers in the protests, has turned in to the number one international issue, with Pakistan perhaps the key http://www.gooakley.com/ country in global politics for the first part of 2008.
What can I say about Ms. Bhutto? Whatever her faults, this was a terrible loss, beyond a simply personal one. With her went the best chance Pakistan had of a sensible transition to an at least acceptable constitutional and political outcome. Her husband and son are poor replacements: the old one because of his record of corruption; the young one because he’s got more sensible things to be getting on with at Oxford.
The one good thing that’s happened is that I heard Nawaz Sharif in a speech the other talking clearly about a return to the position pre-November 3rd. I hope that remains his position.
Couldnt agree with you more, Carl, but for the part concerning Sharif; I don’t believe for one moment he has any intention of allowing the full and fair process of democracy to take effect; it’s too bad that there is no one capable of standing up to him or taking his place should elections be allowed to run their correct course. Right now, I’ll bet he’s silently rubbing his hands with unbridled glee at the chaos surrounding him because no one’s exactly questioning his role, or his plans anymore….