So, who will be the PM? That, indeed, is a crore-rupee question. A lot remains to be settled in regard to Monday’s election-winning parties’ top leaders and their eligibility to contest the polls. None among the second-tier politicians is seen as worthy of the top slot. Given the split verdict in the four provinces, charon subon ki zanjeer, Benazir, is unfortunately no more. The Sharifs too are missing her, you bet.

“Tum kitne Bhutto maaroge? Har ghar se Bhutto nikle ga” was the Pakistan People’s Party’s rallying cry in Sindh; in Punjab, brothers Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif whipped up the storm, resonating with the protesting lawyers: ‘Go Musharraf go’. Gone were the soft-edged promises of ‘Benazir aayegi, rozgaar laayegi’. By Tuesday morning, Pakistan had heard and voted for change.

The rug was pulled from under the erstwhile ruling coalition headed by Musharraf, when the stalwarts of the ruling parties appeared on TV on the eve of the election, claiming without an iota of premonition that they were about to hold historic, fair elections. Many took it with a pinch of salt; others were flabbergasted, given the rulers’ record. But the gods heard them. And then it began to unfold. Those who had given themselves the credit for holding fair elections were not to be found anywhere as the results began to role in. The turnout was 45.6 per cent, twice as expected, given the terrorist threat, and which perhaps would have prevented an upsetting outcome for the rulers.

... contd.