Even the man on the street fears that the US-Israeli-Indian nexus is out to deprive Pakistan of its nuclear assets and dismember it. The mood is very grim. The people are alarmed at the reports of an unprecedented expansion of the US embassy in Islamabad and the presence of armed white goons (believed to be Blackwater agents) on the streets of the capital. The media is screaming that the NWFP and Balochistan are targets of subversion.

There is a great concern about Kerry-Lugar Bill which is seen as a noose around Pakistan’s neck. Discussants on the media openly accuse the Zardari government of bartering away Pakistan’s sovereignty for 1.5 billion dollars – rather cheap for a strategic nuclear state. The general consensus is that the American show of support and financial assistance is hogwash and that the PPP government is a pawn in their game.

There is a pervasive fear that Pakistan has reached the edge of the precipice.

Unfortunately Pakistan’s political elite does not seem to be concerned. It has historically lacked foresight and comprehension of the bigger picture. It ceaselessly pursues self aggrandizement and remains preoccupied with the game of personal power politics – oblivious to the disaster in waiting. Its camp followers keep singing its praises and preach: ‘every thing will be alright once we come to power’. For the Pakistanis to expect such political pygmies turning the tide would amount to committing political suicide.

Can Pakistan be pulled back from the edge of the precipice? The answer is yes. But to deal with these extraordinary circumstances Pakistan needs leadership with extraordinary ability. Such leadership is just not there.

The failure of political leadership to meet such challenges has prompted military interventions in the past. After Musharraf’s recent unceremonious departure, the military is in no mood to repeat that experience.

The alternate is for all political parties to immediately come together, shun differences and find a way of jointly and sincerely managing the country – call it a national government if you please. Its first priority should be to avert collapse that is otherwise imminent. It must end foreign interference and pursue national agenda instead of petty personal agendas. Economic and social issues are critical and many and must be identified and resolved with the collective wisdom of the politicians, armed forces, technocrats and the intelligentsia. Fundamental constitutional, political, economic and social reforms are inevitable to give the country a fresh start and must immediately be carried out. After a pre-specified time frame of say five years, a political government could return through fair elections.

A tall order, but this seems to be the solution of last resort. If this opportunity is lost, those at the helm and those who watch silently will all be considered ex-post-facto accomplices in the second dismemberment of Pakistan.