For the dramatically inclined, Pakistan's political scenario may look like a dark comedy: puppet politicians dancing to the tune of the Three Puppeteers – Army, America and Allah. One for all, and all for one! Indeed, this wily threesome has played rough and tumble with the destiny of this country since its inception.
Allah's people, for whom Pakistan was created during Britain's rushed exit from the Subcontinent, vowed to fashion this new nation into the Land of the Pure, guided by the Holy Koran, and prove to the world that the message of 14 centuries ago remains relevant today. Of course, Islam's holy book, as with all religious books, needs to be interpreted by humans, and no single version can claim finality. In this plurality of divine inspiration lies strength – though until now it has been lost to the warring sects, each claiming a monopoly over the 'Truth'.
Next to the machinations of the religious right, the most powerful external force determining the fate of Pakistan is America. Ever since the CIA used the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to create the mujahideen to oust the Russians from Afghanistan, Pakistan has been America's strategic ally in the Subcontinent. This relationship became of primary significance following the attacks of 11 September 2001, when America realised that Pakistan was a breeding ground of potent 'terrorism', such as that of the Taliban. George W Bush's nightmare scenario was suddenly a weak government in Islamabad capitulating to the rightwing mullahs, many of whom hate the US and support Osama bin Laden's brand of global revolution. A key strategic goal subsequently became having the Pakistan Army (including its various tentacles, such as the ISI) help to squash Washington, DC's various enemies in the badlands of Pakistan.
Six years after America and the Pakistani military joined hands to root out militancy, however, it appears that little has been accomplished. The Taliban are still deeply entrenched along the Afghan-Pakistani border; al-Qaeda's top leadership seems to have found a secure sanctuary in the area; and militants strike within and beyond Pakistan with lethal regularity. As if this was not bad enough, General Pervez Musharraf has taken to shooting himself in the foot. This summer witnessed the storming of the Lal Masjid in Islamabad, with great loss of life; the dismissal and reinstatement of the country's chief justice; and the recent deportation of Mian Nawaz Sharif – all the doings of the general. To top this off has been the news, in early September, that 300 army troops surrendered to a small band of Taliban, suggesting dissension in the lower ranks. While the forces of Allah smile, those of America and the army grope helplessly.