Vote for politics

In fact,the results must surely invite introspection by not just Pakistan’s political parties,but also army GHQ and the higher judiciary. Pakistan has many times celebrated a return to democracy,but this is its first in which voters have gone to the polls as a routine rendezvous. However,the challenges that the new government faces will not allow it the luxury of a honeymoon period of extended celebration. At the height of summer,the cruelly long electricity outages frame a larger infrastructure crisis. The country’s finances need attention,and economic reform is essential. The security situation is dire,and it is likely to test Sharif’s maturity in establishing a working relationship with the army. With American troops poised to exit Afghanistan in 2014,regional diplomacy too is bound to gather urgency. And Pakistan’s democratic credentials cannot be rightfully claimed till it addresses the rising sectarian strife and extremism.

Sharif has persuasively presented himself as a peacemaker,pointing to his previous stints in government to give confidence that he will pick up the threads of dialogue with India. Having been deposed by the army in 1999,and later shipped out into long exile,he appears to now be less impetuous in disregarding other centres of power. It is to be hoped he will work to carry them with him while responding to India’s concerns. India,for its part,should not be found wanting in reciprocating,or indeed,in taking the initiative.