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Published on February 18, 2008

Pakistanis will go to the polls today to vote in their parliamentarians at a time when the country is in the midst of a political crisis with no immediate solution in sight. Nevertheless, it is Pakistan's problem and one that has to be solved by the people of Pakistan. The assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto during the election campaign has sent the country's already dark political future into an even deeper hole, creating more confusion and adding to international anxieties over the spread of extremism, rising ethnic tensions and the fate of the country's atomic weapons.

Bhutto's assassination not only limited the choices available to the people of Pakistan, but it also opened a larger would between President Pervez Musharraf and the opposition parties.

Very few people in Pakistan believe that the election will be fair. But then again, we should not simply assume that elections are cure-alls; Thailand's case is a fine example of how they are not.

As Imran Khan, the chairman of Pakistan's Tehreek-e-Insaf Party, pointed out in a recent commentary, an election by itself doesn't bring democracy. "Elections are meaningful only if they are perceived to be free and fair, which requires independent referees," said Khan, whose party decided to boycott the one today on the grounds that the country's election commission and the interim government are packed with Musharraf's cronies.

Musharraf's old friend the US no longer seems him as a friend in need, but rather as a liability because of his kid-gloves treatment of Taleban fighters who effectively regrouped along the Pakistan border to launch attacks against American-led international forces not long after the outfit was ousted from Kabul.

And it's not just the Americans. There is a growing realisation among other allies of Pakistan that the country desperately needs effective leadership to address its domestic and international problems. China was said to have been extremely upset about the kidnapping of its citizens by extremists acting in the name of Islam.

But while an election such as this may not be a cure-all solution for Pakistan, it could be a step in the right direction - if not for a more stable political future, at least for certain sectors, such as the education system, the economy and so on. Pakistan has received a huge amount of money from Washington for its role in the so-called War on Terror. Some of this money could have gone to books for schools, not just military hardware.

Since coming to power through a coup in 1999 by overthrowing prime minister Nawaz Sherif's government, Musharraf has done a number of positive things for the country. His policy of "enlightened moderation" permits a critical media. He opened up the country's economy to foreign direct investment and made efforts to improve the country's education system.

A new level of comfort has been reached with India over Kashmir, although domestic threats continue to hound him. The man has survived several attempts on his life.

The father of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, may be his role model. But let's face it, Musharraf is no Ataturk. Besides, he is dealing with intractable problems that may take a long time to materialise. Moreover, he is confronted with the difficult task of keeping together a country that is not known for its coherency, from the tribal belt and Baluchistan to the educated class who like to eat American fast food and speak English - the Queen's English, not that of your average Rolex salesmen on Silom Road. In between them are the feudal families who have held sway for generations.

 For the past decade, Musharraf has succeeded in a juggling act that has kept his opponents from making any headway against his rule. But his troubles, as well as Pakistan's problems, are far from over.

Public opinion in Pakistan has turned decisively against him after his declaration of a state of emergency in November 2007 and the sacking of several Supreme Court members.

This election today could very well set off a major political crisis for him. But now is not the time to turn the clock back. Pakistani democracy, it seems, can't afford to wait that long on a man who may have good intentions but not good policies.

The Nation