Pakistan Deserves Democracy

A Pakistani novelist who's seen many benefits from Musharraf's rule concludes that it's time for the embattled leader to go. "By prolonging his rule, the general risks taking Pakistan backward and undermining much of the considerable good that he has been able to achieve," writes Mohsin Hamid. 

Musharraf's decision to suspend Pakistan's highest-ranking judge was just one of many incidents signalling a return to autocracy. "People like me are realizing that the short-term gains from even a well-intentioned dictator’s policies can be easily reversed."  He adds that Americans should not see Musharraf as the only bulwark against Islamic militants. "Scare stories notwithstanding, a more democratic Pakistan might be better not just for Pakistanis but for Americans as well." (More Pakistan stories.)