In the last eleven months, there has been an enormous erosion in Gen. Musharraf's popularity and credibility. Despite his intense pressure, the judiciary refused to do his bidding and give a veneer of legitimacy to his illegal policy decisions. Gen Musharraf admitted as much in his proclamation of emergency when he said that besides the escalation in militancy, it was the growing judicial activism which was "working at cross purposes" with his government which compelled him to take the drastic step.

Gen. Musharraf had successfully dealt with his political opponents by preventing one - Nawaz Sharif - from returning to Pakistan and by entering into a deal with the other - Benazir Bhutto. But despite his best efforts, he could not tame the judiciary which remained the biggest thorn in his flesh.

Gen. Musharraf has used the recent upsurge in suicide attacks as an excuse for his unconstitutional move. The real reason - and everyone in Pakistan knows it - is that he apprehended that the Supreme Court would overturn his re-election as President. Gen. Musharraf who had run out of all political and Constitutional options, chose to resort to this measure because he realised that his survival was at stake. In the past, military coups in Pakistan had dethroned unpopular political rulers and sometimes such actions were welcomed by the people and backed by the judiciary. But Gen. Musharraf has promulgated a martial law against his own regime which is being roundly condemned by the people of Pakistan and the international community.

Pakistan is back where it has been for the most part of its six-decade-old existence. In a sense it was inevitable.

He was finding it difficult to run the government the way he wanted after the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, whom he had suspended in March on baseless charges. The judiciary had begun to assert its independence, which was obviously not to his liking. That is why the first thing General Musharraf did after the proclamation of the emergency was to replace Justice Chaudhry with a new Chief Justice, believed to be in the good books of the General. The text of the proclamation clearly shows that the higher judiciary was seen as the biggest stumbling block in the way of General Musharraf's rule. He has used the growing militancy in Pakistan's lawless tribal areas and elsewhere only as an excuse to gag the judiciary as also the media and people.

But perhaps this is his final line of defence. The Army, which runs the country, is facing heavy losses in different areas of the country and is said to be demoralised. The moot question is: are the officers fully with Musharraf?

The whole world is criticizing the Emergency. But India has chosen to be diplomatic in its reaction. This might have to be corrected soon.

What happens in Pakistan does affect us after all. India needs to nuance its take to show some support to the democratic forces, such as they are, in the country.