Is Musharraf finished?
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf did his nation a favor by permitting free elections, said The Dallas Morning News, but "he could do it an even greater service by resigning" and handing over real power to the winning opposition coalition. If
What happened
The leaders of Pakistan’s two main opposition parties said Thursday that they would form a coalition government after trouncing supporters of President Pervez Musharraf in parliamentary elections, but they said nothing about the future of Musharraf, a key Bush administration ally in the war on terror. (The New York Times, free registration)
What the commentators said
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Musharraf did his nation a huge favor by delivering free elections as promised, said The Dallas Morning News in an editorial, but “he could do it an even greater service by resigning or fading into the background by restoring the presidency to its largely ceremonial role.” He can take heart in the knowledge that voters “rejected the forces of religious extremism” as decisively as they rejected him.
“If the White House wants to counter the global jihadi threat,” said Trudy Rubin in The Philadelphia Inquirer, “it's time to start formulating a post-Musharraf policy. Now.” The irony is that it won’t cost Washington much to drop its unflagging support for the former Pakistani army chief and look for another anti-terrorist champion. The Taliban and al Qaida have thrived in Pakistan “on Musharraf's watch,” so his record won’t be impossible to beat.
“We have been snookered,” said Stanley Kurtz in National Review Online. Liberals and conservatives alike have compared “Musharraf to the alternative of a genuine terror-fighting democracy and find him wanting. That is a mistake. What we should be comparing Musharraf to is the alternative of full-scale war with a chaotic and nuclear-armed Pakistan. We’ve chosen poorly, and the hour is late.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
What should you be stockpiling for 'World War Three'?
In the Spotlight Britons advised to prepare after the EU tells its citizens to have an emergency kit just in case
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
Carnivore diet: why people are eating only meat
The Explainer 'Meatfluencers' are taking social media by storm but experts warn meat-only diets have health consequences
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
Scientists want to fight malaria by poisoning mosquitoes with human blood
Under the radar Drugging the bugs
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
By The Week Staff Published
-
'Seriously, not literally': how should the world take Donald Trump?
Today's big question White House rhetoric and reality look likely to become increasingly blurred
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will Trump's 'madman' strategy pay off?
Today's Big Question Incoming US president likes to seem unpredictable but, this time round, world leaders could be wise to his playbook
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Democrats vs. Republicans: who are the billionaires backing?
The Explainer Younger tech titans join 'boys' club throwing money and support' behind President Trump, while older plutocrats quietly rebuke new administration
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
US election: where things stand with one week to go
The Explainer Harris' lead in the polls has been narrowing in Trump's favour, but her campaign remains 'cautiously optimistic'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Trump okay?
Today's Big Question Former president's mental fitness and alleged cognitive decline firmly back in the spotlight after 'bizarre' town hall event
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The life and times of Kamala Harris
The Explainer The vice-president is narrowly leading the race to become the next US president. How did she get to where she is now?
By The Week UK Published
-
Will 'weirdly civil' VP debate move dial in US election?
Today's Big Question 'Diametrically opposed' candidates showed 'a lot of commonality' on some issues, but offered competing visions for America's future and democracy
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published