Pakistan has reversed neither its slide toward anarchy nor its international isolation a year after the world's first ever military coup in a nuclear state. Rather, military rule has scared away foreign investors and has served as one more negative label for a country that conjures up images of fanaticism, terrorism and gun-toting mullahs.

The Pakistan military has been on the political saddle for half of that country's existence. So the bloodless coup last October 12 was hardly a surprise. What was a surprise was the muted international reaction, with military rule being seen by Western governments as Pakistan's "last option" from becoming the world's first failed nuclear state.

That approach in not pushing the military regime too hard has clearly gone wrong, as it has made Pakistan's condition worse without slowing the movement of drugs and extremists to other parts of the world. Those who expected the military to help clear up the mess should have known that Pakistan's problems are largely the legacy of the various generals who have been at its helm.

rest of the article is at http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/oct/11spec.htm

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