Musharraf Gone, but Pakistan's Woes Remain

A “hanging out to dry” by his former colleagues in Pakistan’s army was the last straw for Pervez Musharraf, Jason Burke writes in the Guardian, but indications that the military will likely stay out of politics is one of the few hopeful signs of the president's departure. A poor economy and Islamic militancy remain—and the civilian leadership doesn’t seem up to the task.

The country’s top general, Burke continues, “has decided to restore the army's battered reputation domestically and internationally by withdrawing to the role of ‘guarantor’ of Pakistani democracy, rather than being its dominant actor.” But “complicated, opaque” legal and political wrangling among partners in the ruling coalition make a bumpy ride likely in the coming months. (More Pervez Musharraf stories.)