The reaction of the mainstream opposition is easier to forgive -- to look for windfall votes is more or less a spinal reflex for the political class. To give the tree a bit of a shake is but second nature. But the reaction of the religious groups -- and the militants they back -- is completely incomprehensible. If there is such a thing as a suicide gene, it is loose in Pakistan. It can safely be assumed that the American delegation which visited Pakistan recently impressed upon the army the importance of the patency of the Sharif regime. But it cannot be assumed that the mujahideen are answerable to the army any more than they are to the Prime Minister. And they have severally promised to carry the jihad on. It is difficult to see how they can dothat in the absence of army support. At the very least, operations in Kashmir will have to be backed by artillery, intelligence, medical aid and lines of supply.

Significantly, the elites of Pakistan do not want hostilities with India to continue. They would rather look to the faltering economy. But, in the absence of political stability, their voice will be drowned out by that of the rabble-rousers, who command a following on the streets that is entirely out of proportion with their ability to earn votes. And the demagogues will be pretty shrill, just to stay on the good side of their freshly-demobbed foot-soldiers, the mujahideen. The traditional problem with mercenaries is that when they are off the job, they tend to live off their employers, with unpleasant results. Pakistan should realise that the proposed withdrawal from Kargil is a face-saver, not an admission of defeat. If this was a war, the defeat happened long ago, far away from the border, in the international community. If this was a war-likesituation, then there can be no winners or losers. Pakistan should now take Sharif's option and preserve itself from the shame of living up to Najam Sethi's prophecy.