Suspending Pakistan?

It is understandable that Western democracies are deeply concerned about a military coup and are demanding a quick return to civilian rule.

But Pakistan was a democracy neither under Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif nor under his predecessor, Benazir Bhutto.

The population has lost its confidence in the politicians and hardly turns out to vote any more -- at the last elections, the turnout was less than 17 percent.

It was significant that no one protested against (Gen. Pervaiz) Musharraf's takeover -- quite the opposite.

Many people see in the military the only chance to prevent the country's total collapse. The army is the only institution in a position to neutralize the squabbling politicians.

So long as the military leaders are conscious of their responsibility for Pakistan's future, the country should be given the chance to clean up its own mess -- without foreign interference.

-- Der Bund, Bern, Switzerland