1115.org

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1115’s favorite dictator is in the news again, and not just because he suddenly canceled his plans to attend the Beijing Olympics.

The ruling coalition in Pakistan has sparked a minor crisis by threatening to impeach President Pervez Musharraf.

Pakistan’s ruling coalition parties say they will begin impeachment proceedings against President Pervez Musharraf.

Party leaders Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif made the announcement after three days of talks. They would need a two-thirds majority to impeach.

Mr Musharraf took power in a bloodless coup in 1999.

And has remained in power ever since partly due to the staunch support he has received from George Bush.

This support was extended in lieu of a Grammy or an Oscar for his hysterically funny double role in “In Your TWAT: The War Against Terror”. Admiring fans will long remember how he has simultaneously been our foremost ally in TWAT and Osama bin Laden’s gracious host in Pakistan’s lawless frontier region.

What happens next in Pakistan is unclear. The government seems determined to launch impeachment proceedings. “Mr Musharraf has previously said he would resign rather than face impeachment proceedings but he has made no comment yet on the latest move.” But if he follows through on that, it would be the first time he promised to do something and actually did it.

“One presidential source told Agence France-Presse news agency Mr Musharraf was discussing a course of action and had the options of dissolving parliament or imposing emergency rule again.”

However, “Mr Zardari, the widower of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, … warned Mr Musharraf not to dissolve parliament, saying: ‘If he does it, it will be his last verdict against the people.’”

The final sobering thought: “The president is still thought to have heavy influence over the military and its reaction will remain crucial.”

Will Musharraf go quiet into that good night? Or will he put on his uniform again?

The battle lines have been drawn. Let the games commence!

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Far be it from me to actually offer a prediction, but I note that the history of Pakistan (ever since it was born, pretty much) has been that every time democracy tries to rear its ugly head in Pakistan, it gets firmly put down again, often with overt or covert support from who else but us.