Coming weeks are crucial to Pakistan's evolution as a democracy. Now that the people have thoroughly rejected Gen (Retd) Musharraf and his cronies, it is for the politicians to rise to the occasion, put aside their personal and ideological differences and build democratic institutions after nine years of Army rule and put Pakistan firmly on the path of political stability and economic development. Military dictators in the past capitalized on the failure of politicians and seized power on the pretent of getting rid of corruption and misgovernance. That should not happen again and only political parties and their leaders, unwilling to play proxies for the military, can do that.

Many urgent tasks await them. They have to undo the mutilations of the constitution done under Musharrraf's rule, bring about an orderly retreat of the arrogant and unaccountable Army from polities and governance and, with seriousness of purpose, take up the fight against fundamentalist, obscurantist and terrorist forces, as well as, social deprivation, want and poverty, without frittering away their energies in personal feuds. The situation in Pakistan under Musharraf's rule has worsened to an extent that even he, with the help of the military, was unable to control it. A coalition put together by Asif Ali Zardari, Nawaz Sharif and others opposed to military rule must undo the mess created by him for the sake of his survival and restore peace and security.

Even though the United States still backs unpopular Musharraf, whom they trust to carry forward their regional security policies, the time is running against him. He has to go sooner or later, though his early, graceful exit would remove a major hurdle to the consolidation of democratic forces, defeat of terrorism and pursuit of economic development. Given the feudal background of the politicians, not much by way of social empowerment and delivery of justice in the rural areas may be expected. But if the politicians join forces to strengthen democracy, ensure orderly and equitable economic growth, combat obscurantist and extremist forces and prevent the Army's and the Government's security and intelligence agencies from interfering in politics and waging proxy wars against neighbouring countries, they would justify the trust which the people have reposed in them.

The elections have shown that, within the limited space permitted, the people are capable of kicking out artificially propped-up corrupt governments subservient to the Army, in the hope that a new dawn will break and deliver them from decades of bondage, frustration and injustice. The vote has shattered some myths created by the Generals--and unhesitatingly accepted by their benefactor, the United States-- and demonstrated that Pakistanis are not fundamentalists and followers of the Al Qaeda and the Taliban, nurtured by the military rulers in order to perpetuate themselves in power.

The fundamentalist forces, which were not in the reckoning before military rulers promoted them in order to put down democratic and mainstream political parties, have been shown their place and routed at the polls. Though a major component of the Musharraf-created Islamist Muttahida-Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), the jamaat-e-Islami did not participate in the election, the Jmiat Ulema-i-Islam which participated was routed. Its mentor Maulana Fazlur Rahman, whom Musharraf had catapulted to the position of leader of the opposition in the dissolved National Assembly, has been cut to the right size. Two secular parties will from the governments in North West Frontier Province and Balochistan.

The people have reposed faith in liberal-centrist democratic forces and moderate tolerant Islam. Mr. Musharraf has been responsible for the overnight resurgence of religious parties with the help of his intelligence and other agencies to hoodwink the US by offering himself as the only alternative to the Islamists. The people, whose basic and fundamental rights were systematically taken away, have voted for their restoration and reinstating the 1973 constitution. They have demonstrated their belief in liberalism, the rule of law, constitutional democracy and social and economic progress. Their maturity is also proved by not being carried away too much by the Benazir Bhutto sympathy factor, or personalities, and voting, by and large, on issues. The strong showing of Nawaz Sharif's PML(N) in Punjab is attributable to its strong stand on issues of democracy, the rule of law and retreat of Military from politics and governance.

The Armed Forces have played a role in Pakistan's politics for decades, which even democratically-elected but unstable leaders were forced to accept under compulsion of circumstances. Pakistan's foreign policy has been totally controlled by the US which was involved in various military alliances, such as, SEATO,CENTO and, more recently, made it a special ally of NATO, which is operating next door in Afghanistan, but, Washington's policies were responsible for Musharraf's unpopularity, even though he did not fully cooperate in the war against terrorism. But, now the people have turned not only anti-Musharraf but also anti-US. The role of the Army in combating terrorism is acknowledged. But it cannot win the war on terrorism by itself. There is need for adequate space being provided in the decision-making councils for the civilian majority, the vast multitude that has been deprived of its sovereign rights and privileges and then maligned for being dumb and docile.

Belatedly, perhaps, the United States has been forced to realize that the war on terror cannot be won by the army operating without the umbrella of a popular, democratically-elected and functioning civilian authority. The sooner this fundamental reality is comprehended the easier and less painful the journey to salvation will become. Washington might have been trying to broker a deal between Musharraf and Bhutto for this reason, but the military dictator's cronies got her eliminated. The people took democratic revenge on the perpetrators of the crime by routing the king's Party PML(Q) and defeating 15 of Musharraf's ministers as also leader of the ruling party Chaudhry Shujaat. The danger is that in the coming weeks, the newly elected members of parliament may become occupied with the issue of Musharraf's ouster and neglect the important tasks that await them.

Musharraf has shamefacedly taken all precautions to prevent his impeachment by Parliament. Even if the coalition manages to muster a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly to get Musharraf impeached, should he not voluntarily step down, such a vote may not be endorsed by the Senate, where pro-Musharraf parties still command a majority. The ruling coalition may encounter a similar situation while trying to amend the Constitution to do away with the distortions made by Musharraf to concentrate all power in his hands. These include the powers to dismiss the Prime Minister and provincial Chief Ministers, dissolve parliament and the provincial legislatures, packing the National Security Council with people from the Armed Forces and the notorious Legal Framework Order through which he virtually abrogated the 1973 Constitution and established unbridled military dictatorship. Apart from undoing all this, the status, powers and independence of the judiciary need to be restored and also the basic and fundamental rights of the people.

The anti-Musharraf parties fought the elections on separate agendas and programmes and also given their past rivalry, they may not find it easy to reconcile their differences. In the past, the Armed Forces first sowed dissention among them, and then capitalized on their failures, to seize power and present themselves to prevent seething chaos, political instability and administrative and political corruption. The tenure of Mr. Musharraf and his predecessor military rulers convincingly proved that, far from clearing up the mess, the Armed Forces themselves become corrupt and did not deliver good governance, political stability, efficiency or individual and national security.

The country has not only sunk into chaos but has also been handed over a platter to fundamentalists and terrorists, who now threaten its very existence. A heavy responsibility is thus cast on the political parties not to repeat the past. They should be beware of the machinations of the internal forces and external elements, who will stop short of nothing to perpetuate their hold on the leadership and Armed Forces of the country as they have done in the past. A heavy responsibility is cast on them and they must bring about the democratic transition, ensure political, social and economic justice and security, while combating terrorism and fundamentalis. It is a now or never opportunity for them.