Early Spring

What Pakistan needs, has always needed, is a system in which the populate reflects the rich diversity of the Land of the Pure.

Billed as an "Islamic Republic" that nom de guerre doesn't really do it justice. Pakistan is the hood for almost everything - 22 million Christians and over six million Hindus. 165 million people - nearly 40% under the age of 14 - a literacy rate of nearly 50% and around 12 million people online is the very def of diversity.

Transparent, periodic, free and fair elections are the best prescrip meds of prevention for civil wars, insurgencies and misery.

Musharraf is not the typical military dictator as Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and Zia ul-Haq were. Last of the whiskey drinking, swagger stick carrying anglophile paratroopers, Pervez got bumped up to the top slot after a coup d’etat organised by others had already scored.
Amir Taheri explains:

"Unlike his military predecessors, he has not engaged in self-enrichment or
despicable behaviour. He has tried, not always successfully, to preserve at
least a veneer of legality and constitutionality."

This may be the supreme character exam for Pervez - not faking, fixing or blowing off the blow out results his hand made party (along with the losses by the mullah type fanboy parties)

"Election is the voice of the nation and we all, including myself should accept
these results. Instead of crying foul, we should all show magnanimity"

Ghazala Khan -attorney and chief correspondent at TPS reports that the heavy lifting is still ahead

"President Musharraf, few weeks ago, said that he would leave when nation would
want him to leave. The nation has asked him to leave by rejecting revoltingly, his hand-made Pakistan Muslim League-Quashed. Pakistan is rejoicing and you can sense it everywhere. Even the sun is smiling and flowers just cannot wait to come out and declare an early spring.

Mr. Musharraf has himself conceded that his acts of 3rd Novemeber were not
constitutional, and now nation is looking up at their newly elected leaders to reinstate the judiciary, and free media and start doing some practical measures to show nation that they mean business.

But in this regard nation has to play a very vigilant part. They have done their
half part by rejecting the forces of status qou, and they now need to see that their leaders don’t get it wrong, and do what they told them that they would do once in power.

They need to now rally behind their elected leaders and make sure that Mr.
President leaves power, and let the civilians rule the country. The nation should also get prepared to ensure the implementation of measures which will translate their dreams into the realities. The victors will have to make a government, but not before they clearly tell nation what their mutual game plan is."

What happens to the war on Al Qaeda? Will the Army maintain the buddy buddy relationship with Great Satan that Pervez has cultivated? Will Pervez get sacked? Will the PPP live up to Benazir's promise to be the terrorists worst nightmare?

Hang on y'all - after early spring comes spring fever.