Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (pictured) and Benazir Bhutto's husband Asif Ali Zardari have decided to form a coalition against President Musharraf in Pakistan. However, since Musharraf's party still controls a number of seats in the parliament, it's likely to result in political deadlock and lots of angry rhetoric between the two sides--much like Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. The terrorists who are targeting Pakistani cities do not seem to care who is in charge though, and they were perfectly willing to remind us of that today.
In my opinion, Nawaz Sharif is unintentionally helping the Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants tear his country apart by taking such misguided actions based on vengeance (Musharraf ousted him from power back in 1999). However, if Nawaz, Zardari, and Musharraf all decided to put aside their differences for the good of the country, shake hands, and pledge to work towards unity even amid clear differences, it would inflict a tremendous hit on the terrorists--because it would send them the message that even after carrying out countless attacks and inflicting harm on thousands of people, they have failed in their attempt to divide the country. Such a move could seriously weaken their morale and their propaganda campaign.
Maybe it would even send a message to the politicians here in the United States, who spend more time looking out for their party than anything. Unfortunately though, this does not look good. If these people find a way to work together, it could bring hope...but if Musharraf is forced to resign and the new government takes ineffective action against the Islamic militants camped out along the border, they could very well be setting the stage for their own destruction. Because with Musharraf gone, and an American ally that could end up electing a president who could take embrace a more "non-interventionist" approach, the opposition might have no one to save them when the Taliban come marching on Islamabad.
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