Editorial
Verdict for change in Pakistan
There should be no looking back
THE Pakistanis have delivered the message loud and clear -- they want unconditional restoration of democracy. This is good news for the country that has been bumping along a rugged political course, as President Musharraf's plan of maintaining his grip over power clashed with the political parties' demand for a return to democratic rule.
When the country's future looked rather bleak, as religious militants resorted to widespread violence, and the politicians appeared to be helpless, people have exercised their voting right to shape Pakistan's political destiny on a positive note. It's another example of people's power eclipsing the forces opposed to it.
Now that the voters have made known that they want power to change hands, with the PPP and the Muslim League (Nawaz) emerging as the two leading parties, President Musharraf should accept the results in good grace -- all the way. Even the defeated parties should come forward to give democracy a real chance to take roots in Pakistan's highly volatile and complex political setting.
The peaceful election has belied the apprehension that the election would be marred by violence and bloodletting. Though the voter turnout was not high, only 35%, Pakistan can now look forward to a fresh beginning, after politics was showing all the signs of getting lost in extra-constitutional maneuverings and machinations.
A wholesome development is that religious extremism, undoubtedly an area of major concern for Pakistan, has not made any impact on the elections. People have, by and large, voted for the parties having a moderate image.
The real challenge, of course, lies ahead as the political parties will have to steer Pakistan out of a crisis, deepened by strident regionalism, through providing a stable government. Many possibilities are open to them, but they have to make the most out of the situation created by voters' rejection of Musharraf's quasi-military rule. Alongside bringing back internal order, the new government will have to make special efforts to refurbish Pakistan's image in the outside world, which has been badly bruised by the rise of militancy in the garb of religion in recent months.
That said, Pakistanis have kept the hope of overcoming the odds alive, however insurmountable they might appear. And the politicians' task, at this point of time, is to fulfill the popular expectations by putting the country back on to the democratic track.
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