Time for Change in Pakistan

Another former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif is returning to Pakistan and reportedly will be allowed to stay this time. He and Benazir Bhutto are former Prime Ministers and leaders of the two largest opposition parties in Pakistan. Presumably, both will be filing papers to run for Prime Minister in the upcoming Parliamentary election.

Sharif was exiled to Saudi Arabia when Pervez Musharraf in a bloodless coup, removed Sharif from office and took control of Pakistan in 1999. When Sharif attempted to return to Pakistan in September after the now removed Supreme Court Justices had signaled it was allowable, Musharraf refused him entry and sent him back to Saudi Arabia.

As long as Musharraf stays in power there will continue to be unrest in Pakistan. True democratic reform will not occur until the removed Supreme Court Justices are returned to their seats on the Supreme Court. It is now time for Musharraf to not only remove his General uniform but to also step down as President of Pakistan.

The reinstated Supreme Court Justices should then appoint members of an interim caretaker government. The first action taken by the caretaker government should be lifting the suspension of the constitution. Then a date or dates should be set as soon as feasible for the election of President and for the Parliament. These elections should be monitored by the UN or the Carter Center to help ensure fairness.

Until the removed Supreme Court Justices are reinstated, the U.S. should place contingencies on the continued millions sent to Pakistan on a monthly basis. The U.S. financing of a Dictator in order to ensure a military alliance is wrong and provides fuel to anti U.S. sentiment by sending the wrong message out to the world.

The support of Human Rights should always be foremost in foreign policy decisions made by the United States.