There is a standoff in Pakistan that has been brewing for years over the principle of Law versus the caprice of military rule. The AFP is reporting that around 20,000 Pakistani political activists and lawyers are presently making their way to a scheduled protest, a sit-in, outside the parliament building in Islamabad. The so-called "Long March," which over the past few days has traversed miles, is calling for the reinstatement of judges dismissed by President Pervez Musharraf during the past year. Most prominent among those attending the rally is the well-respected Pakistan Chief Justice, Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, whose ouster by Musharraf last year led to protest marches around the country and the boycotting of the court system. It was a pivotal moment in Pakistani history.

Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry has been a particular thorn in Musharraf's side in representing the rule of law. Previously Musharraf was head of both the army and the government, which consolidated his power but was considered unconstitutional, thus putting him at odds with the Chief Justice. Chaudhry, who considers himself a patriot governed by the Pakistani constitution, found himself outside of the orbit of Musharraf's influence.

Their differing views on the limits of Presidential power set the two on an eventual collision course. Musharraf, fearing that Chaudhry would force him to choose between being head of the military and being head of state, had Chaudhry dismissed as head of the Court and, with the backing of the army, placed him under house arrest. It was an ill-advised maneuver that backfired. Behind the scenes Chaudhry contacted the media, exhorting the public to stand up for the rule of law which bends for no individual's whimsy. And surprising everyone, the Pakistani public expressed furor and Musharraf backtracked, freeing Chaudhry. The mysterious assasination of Benazir Bhutto has only increased the boldness of Chaudhry and the public in questioning the legitimacy of Musharraf's grasp of power in Pakistan.

This present standoff is particularly sensitive because Pakistan, a principal US ally in the War on Terror, is a nuclear power. That is one of the primary reasons that the United States is tentatively backing Musharraf, who promises stability for the nuclear nation (as well as support against the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan), as opposed to backing the side of the principle of Law, whose ascension into power could potentially be messy on a nuclear scale.

[Image: Reuters]