With Benazir’s exit Pakistani politics sees one more political turn in an eventful year. While the fate of elections hangs in balance, the future of other institutions also seems uncertain at best, bleak at worst. This year, the Pakistani political kaliedoscope changed pattern constantly, even before political observers could formulate any opinion. The President’s term, assumed a la national referendum in 2002, came to an end and another began.
It all began in March 2007 when Musharraf dismissed the then Chief Justice Iftekhar Ali Choudhury, for abuse of power, including using influence to get his son a job. The decision to remove Chaudhry was actually taken because of Musharraf’s fears that the chief justice would vote against his continuing to hold the offices of president and army chief simultaneously.

The handling of the CJP’s affair has been seen as a mockery of legal and constitutional process and  it (dismissal) provided a common rallying point in the form of large-scale protests and demonstrations led by lawyers who were later joined by other sections of the civil society.

Historically, the judiciary has gone along with the ruling establishments’ devastation of the constitution, upholding coups in the name of  “doctrine of necessity,” except and only after the fall of General Yahya Khan and the restoration of civilian rule.

Political scene in Pakistan became tense very soon after that, in July 2007, now for the Lal Masjid issue. The Pakistani security forces stormed the Red Mosque, an Islamist stronghold. This added to the Jihadi anger. Suicidal attacks continued to rise, with no let up in terrorist activities.

Turmoil
 While he had succeeded in keeping the two adversaries abroad all this year, the turmoil triggered by chief justice’s dismissal,encouraged the two former premiers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto to return. While Nawaz Sharif, soon after landing in Islamabad, was sent  back to Jeddah,  Benazir Bhutto saw a tumultuous welcome in the streets of Karachi, notwithstanding the fact that she had come back under an understanding with Musharraf, which also led to writing off corruption charges against her and de-freezing of accounts, although nothing was said about her becoming a prime minister, a step prohibited under the 2002 machinations. Benazir's Karachi rally saw suicide bombers targetting her convoy, killing more than 100 of her supporters.

The restoration did not end political problems for Musharraf as pressures to give up the uniform were built up. The "doffing issue" became so serious that despite his manipulation of the presidential election in his favour, the judiciary prohibited announcement of judgement of results till it gave a verdict on legality of his assuming office of president.

Fearing adversarial judgment, he dismissed the Chief justice and imposed emergency. A virtual Martial law, called emergency  in popular lexicon, was imposed, with curbs imposed on media and political activists. The doffing of uniform by Musharraf and return of Nawaz Sharif for the second time followed the announcement of elections in January 2008.

All eyes were focused on Benazir Bhutto, as political space was denied to Nawaz Sharif, when the heinous act was committed on Thursday, bringing Pakistan to yet another round of uncertainty.

 (The writer is associate professor, school of international studies, JNU, New Delhi)