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Dale McFeatters
Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, has finally done the right thing and resigned. He seized power in a 1999 coup -- it seems to be almost expected of the Pakistan military -- but resisted demands and several opportunities to hold democratic elections.
Instead, he engineered a constitutional amendment allowing him to serve both as president and chief of the military and, when the courts balked, he cleaned out the judiciary, including the supreme court. He convinced a timid parliament to give him another term as president last November, and when that didn't sit well with the public, he declared a state of emergency.
Now, the has stepped down in the face of certain impeachment. His political enemies, Nawaz Sharif, whom he forced into exile, and Asif Zardari, the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated likely because of official neglect of her security, want to try him for treason.
Musharraf's aides say he will live in his home just outside of Islamabad, but, considering the fate of some of his predecessors, Zia and the Bhuttos (father and daughter), a life in exile in Saudi Arabia might be in order.
As dictators go, Musharraf seemed a decent sort, although he was unable to reverse Pakistan's continuing economic slide or overcome radical Islamists, especially the tribes in the north, who continue to give shelter to al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
He was a loyal, if often seemingly ineffectual, ally of he U.S. in the war on terror. But his own people were virulently opposed to his alliance with the U.S. and the American military presence in Afghanistan. Still, his cooperation brought his country $10 billion in U.S. aid since 2001.
The coalition government of Sharif and Zardari should abandon the undoubtedly satisfying task of prosecuting Musharraf and instead turn their attention to the less pleasant chores of addressing the economy and the lawless and very dangerous border territories. The U.S. is willing to help. Pakistan has a history of incompetent and corrupt civilian governments being ousted by the military, which then brings a temporary and false stability until the civilians return to start the process all over. It's time to break that cycle.
• Dale McFeatters writes for Scripps Howard News Service.
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