Around the national cross-party consensus-building leading up to the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan, the military establishment and its interests were the only considerations not being discussed by the various political parties coming together to iron out creases in our social contract.

Most of it would have to do with the fact that the 18th Amendment came fresh on the heels of the latest military adventure into direct governance, which had only recently capitulated. In the ebb and flow of power, that was the ideal time to enforce and entrench plural democracy. And it is also when and why the latest chapter of interference in democracy first took shape.

That chapter has now had several sub-chapters. It looks horribly edited, and even has a shuffling of heroes around its middle. What began as Mission Third Force with a captain at the head is now back to being the same old two parties playing musical chairs in the kiddie section. The new chapter captain is in jail.

After brief flirtations with actual democratic agitation, the heads of the two parties are contentedly back under saddles rather than aspiring to be sitting upon them. Ironically, the captain is finally what the boys set out to make him: a popular leader with national support. Turns out, the only common condition in our national history for such leaders is that the boys can't stand them.

The direct price of interference has,........

© The Friday Times