Is Pakistan Moving Toward Domestic Political Detente?
Pakistan is one of many developing countries that have yet to define the role of opposition parties in political life. Nor have opposition parties assumed a responsible position in the Pakistani legislative bodies to which they are elected. The relationship between the government and the opposition at both the provincial and national levels is essentially one of suspicion and bad faith. It is a rare occasion when election results are not questioned and post-election no-confidence campaigns are not launched. Then, when efforts within the assemblies fail to dislodge the incumbent government, opposition takes to the streets. These were the tactics employed by former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto against incumbent Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last November and December. Before her campaign could gain national momentum, however, it was derailed by the Babri Masjid incident in India. Public attention in Pakistan was diverted totally by the Indian riots and the mass killing of Indian Muslims.
