Elections

The nation cannot afford another delay in the elections scheduled for February 18.

Fraud is a part of the Pakistani political psyche and playing above and beyond the rules is a testament to power in Pakistan.

Hindsight is a tragedy, which we all wish did not exist and one of the tragedies is that PPP, after Benazir Bhutto, does not have a viable leader, who can capture the national imagination.

Aitzaz Ashan, who could have been required tonic for the nation, is a persona non grata in PPP and Benazir always favored Bonzai PPP leaders around her and did not like Aitzaz Ahsan, who was starting to rival her. The good news is, if it can be called that, is that Aitzaz Ashan has been under house arrest for nearly three months and cannot be subjected to an extension of his arrest order without a viable reason.

Government can order a house arrest for three months and after that, if it wants to extend the arrest, it has to produce the person in question before a court and the court decides whether the arrest should be prolonged or ended.

Aitzaz was arrested on the eve of the emergency and 90 days will have been reached in the first week of February.

Government seems to have entered a cul-de-sac of mirrors. Every where it turns to in hopes of seeking an exit from its problems, it only proves to be another dead-end. Pakistan is turning into a Wagnerian opera; Gotterdamerung.