Protests and violence have erupted in Pakistan as the supporters of President Zardari and the opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif, clashed in the streets of Lahore - the New York Times has the details. From an outsider's point of view, this strikes me as suspiciously similar to the situation in Gineau-Bissau that I wrote about yesterday: two of the richest, most powerful men in the country engaged in a personal fued over power and political fifedoms.
Factional strife is an unavoidable part of the political process, and things inevitably get personal. But Pakistan simply does not have the Madisonian-style institutions that are needed to keep these factions in check. Instead we have a nuclear-armed country that is unable to control its own borders, or govern parts of its own territory, or manage to protect the most venerated of all citizens: cricket players. No wonder there's already talk of bringing back Musharraf.
For an insider's look into the current state of affairs in Pakistan, read this piece. Or check out the Middle East Progress blog for a more thorough backgrounder. Hillary Clinton certainly has her hands full.
(photo of sunset in Lahore from Fahad Bhatti's photostream)
Protests and violence have erupted in Pakistan as the supporters of President Zardari and the opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif, clashed in the streets of Lahore - the New York Times has the details. From an outsider's point of view, this strikes me as suspiciously similar to the situation in Gineau-Bissau that I wrote about yesterday: two of the richest, most powerful men in the country engaged in a personal fued over power and political fifedoms.
