Forcing Democracy on Pakistan
By K.N. Pandita
Pakistan is very much in the news these days. Musharraf’s vendetta against the Chief Justice boomeranged. It did not weaken him institutionally. But some may take relief in having found a weak point in him albeit not exploitable. .
1. The tantrum of “restoring” democracy in Pakistan is making rounds. There never was one; hence restore what? Each so-called democratic spell, of course ephemeral and at random, ended up in corruption, authoritarianism and sordid politicking of mundane order. Masses demonstrated either relief or benign no-concern on the liquidation of a democratic spell as they did with the liquidation of spells of military rule. That leads one to the structure and psyche of Pakistani civil society where the crisis lies.