Pakistan Politics

Sent to THE HINDU ( letters to the editor on Feb 28 2008 )

A series of blast, a number of civilian casualties ( with Gen.(Retd.) Musharraf trying heart and soul to ensure law and order in the country) , the election day arrives, voting occurs peacefully, extremist parties that were supposedly responsible for the earlier mishaps loose and stay completely calm and composed with no post election violence. Doest all of this look really artificial, the law-enforcing authorities did not get any Alladins lamp on the polling day that would so drastically change the atmosphere, could this be a calculated move by the president to restore his credibility as a peace-guardian by allowing the non-extremist parties to come to power and later try to discredit them with planned acts of violence.Only time can tell. The PPP and PML(N) have achieved a majestic victory, they need to consolidate on a plan to capitalize on this golden opportunity and take Pakistan to new pinnacles of development and simultaneously be on guard from the not so friendly extremist forces in Pakistan.