So, it looks like Musharraf got the message and resigned. The message, probably, having come from the US. Authoritarian regimes might be useful to imperial patrons, but individual dictators are usually dispensable. Because he is resigning, he will get off easy, not be tried for any crimes, and probably be allowed to leave the country. Tariq Ali argued in the Guardian that he can’t stay in Pakistan because of the risk of assassination.
So, it looks like Musharraf got the message and resigned. The message, probably, having come from the US. Authoritarian regimes might be useful to imperial patrons, but individual dictators are usually dispensable. Because he is resigning, he will get off easy, not be tried for any crimes, and probably be allowed to leave the country. Tariq Ali argued in the Guardian that he can’t stay in Pakistan because of the risk of assassination.
This is a positive development, but much more positive will be if the Supreme Court and independent judiciary is restored. I just read Shuja Nawaz’s “Crossed Swords”, and in it he argues that part of what has empowered the military to step into politics repeatedly is that civilian governments looked to the military (he might have added “and the Americans”) to settle their disputes. If Musharraf’s civilian successors do so, it won’t be long before the next coup.
