More on the Situation in Pakistan

On the latest developments in Pakistan:

A New York Times editorial discusses Pakistan’s “quick fix.” While praising Zardari‘s decision to reinstate Supreme Court justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, the article does address a few caveats. Firstly, because Zardari made a major concession to Sharif in reinstating Chaudhry he is now in a weaker position. Secondly, although the recent protests occurred with little violence the fact that police in Lahore allowed Sharif to escape house arrest was “unsettling.” Finally, “one of the biggest questions is how Mr. Chaudhry, now a national symbol of democracy and the rule of law, will use his influence and his restored powers.”

At the International Herald Tribune, Mohsin Hamid expresses relief over the recent developments. Fearing that Pakistan was on the brink of anarchy, he explains that “without army intevention, without the bloodshed that has preceded major changes in the past, important precedents have been set: The independence of the judiciary matters, and democratically-elected governments cannot be casually dismissed. The Pakistani state has taken a significant step toward becoming more responsive to its people.”

Meanwhile Patrick French, also at IHT, offers a far less optimistic view, saying that Pakistan is at risk of becoming a “nuclear-armed Afghanistan.” Pointing to the Taliban’s victory in Swat, he argues that trying to strike further deals or weaning moderate elements away from violence “is stymied by the fact that the Pakistani Taliban know they are winning. Making a deal with them now is appeasement.”