Musharraf Running Out of Options

The Supreme Court just reinstated the chief justice whom President Musharraf had removed. What’s the significance of this?

It’s a great victory for constitutional rule in Pakistan. If it had been a parliamentary form of government the government would have fallen by now. But Musharraf is a military ruler. So I don’t know what he will do now. Really, he has no more right to stay in power.

But it will be difficult for him to get reelected now. As a military ruler he really has no plan B now that he has faced this defeat. I don’t think (opposition) politicians like Benazir Bhutto will want to deal with a discredited general now.

Pakistan has something called the doctrine of necessity (which was used as the basis of bypassing the constitution in the name of saving the country). (Former Prime Minister) Nawaz Sharif said this decision buries the doctrine of necessity. The higher judiciary has tasted freedom. I don’t think they will just take decisions to suit the government of the day as it has done before.

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