The third option is somewhat as follows, as once eloquently described by poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. When Faiz was finally absolved of the charges of plotting to overthrow the government that were brought against him under the Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case in the late ’50s, he was asked by a journalist what he thought of the political situation in the country after his release. “Will it improve or get worse?” the journalist asked, and Faiz prophetically replied, Bhai teesri soorat ye hai ke aise hi chalta rahe. (The third option is that it continues the way it is.) And it has, ever since.

If that turns out to be the case this time round again, the situation that is likely to obtain will be one where everyone will stay where they are, but with a bit more misery than they have at present. The PPP-led coalition will continue in office and so will the bickering among the ruling partners. Musharraf will stay put in the presidency, lying low after swallowing another bitter pill in exchange for not sacking parliament, even as it dared to impeach him. Sharif will continue to find faults with the government but not that of his own party’s in Punjab. The MQM and the ANP will go on sharing power with the PPP in Karachi and the Frontier province, respectively, denouncing extremism but doing nothing to contain it. Maulana Fazlur Rahman will further practise the art of saying nothing while saying it all in a few words.

... contd.