Friday 13 March 2009

Burning Pakistan

To the victor the spoils. That is the reductive, zero-sum philosophy that underlies politics in Pakistan. It is giving a dangerous new dimension to the crisis in Pakistan, where government and opposition are going at each other as if their country were not fighting for its very survival.

Barely a year after the restoration of civilian rule, and hardly six months after the final exit of General Pervez Musharraf, a new power struggle has erupted between the government of Asif Ali Zardari and the opposition led by Nawaz Sharif.

The issue at stake – the principle of an independent judiciary – is very important. But the way it is being tackled by Pakistan’s political elite – looking for factional advantage while jihadis and insurgents overrun swaths of the country – is breathtakingly irresponsible.

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