A major reason for Pakistan's abiding instability is the absence of 'rules of the game' that could stabilise the relationship among warring political forces and between these political forces and the armed forces.

The latter have ruled Pakistan for almost half the period since independence in 1947. The most recent political transition follows the fourth military regime under General Pervez Musharraf, who has ruled since the October 1999 military coup.

Not surprisingly, transitions from outright military rule to a quasi-civilian elected setup are often tricky, creating new problems without resolving the old ones.

The fundamental contradiction arises because the army, is reluctant to relinquish authority. But as a sop to international and domestic pressure for democracy, it wants legitimacy through an elected, albeit pliant, political government.