ANALYSIS  – When Nawaz Sharif won Pakistan’s general election last year to become Prime minister he did so on a landslide, the extent of which surprised everyone, friend and foe alike.
Observers noted the smooth transition, the first time in this young nation’s history, as well as the lack of irregularities in the voting process – all of which pointed to a future where democracy could flourish in a country plagued by military rule.
So, it is very disappointing to see all that being thrown into doubt by two foolish men, both of whom spent time in democracies themselves but who clearly don’t think that the people of Pakistan deserve the chance to choose who should make the decisions that affect their lives.
One studied at Oxford and was a great captain of the nation’s cricket side, the other a religious cleric who appeared out of nowhere last year after living in Canada.
Both are driven by a sense of a messianic mission that afflicts so many Pakistanis – heaven help the land of the pure should either of these clowns ever make it to the office of Prime minister.
There have been fears that the army could step in – some thing that appears unlikely given how strong the elected PM’s democratic mandate is, and given also the size of the US loan that will be lost should they engage in anything as rash as a coup d’etat.
And should they do so, Pakistan will follow the Arab world in becoming a laughing stock – something that even the coup prone military is keen to avoid.