Democracy for nuclear Pakistan could be catastrophic

Democracy for a nuclear weapon enriched Pakistan could have catastrophic results, says noted Canadian author and journalist, George Jonas.

Washington, Sept 6 : Democracy for a nuclear weapon enriched Pakistan could have catastrophic results, says noted Canadian author and journalist, George Jonas.

"Democracy may come to Pakistan before long, and with it, catastrophe. That's not because democracy is bad, but because it's so good, so accommodating, that it may open the door to something very bad, even monstrous. And it may do so in a country that has the bomb," he argues in an article, published in Canwest News Service.

The author, who has written books like "Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team", states that President General Pervez Musharraf's quasi-military dictatorship is not the only alternative to a Taliban-style theocracy in Pakistan.

"That's true. A sane and friendly strongman isn't necessarily the only alternative to a hostile or insane ayatollah. It's an effective alternative, though. Whether the kind of democracy that may replace it would be equally effective is unproven, and Pakistan is too volatile a laboratory for the experiment," he adds.

In order to prove his point, the writer illustrates that civilian rule in Pakistan has been "characterized by chaos and corruption, economic instability, and social injustice."

"Iran may wish to have the Muslim bomb, but Pakistan already has it. Under the circumstances, whose finger would you prefer to see on the trigger? The best democrats in Pakistan - or anyone other than Osama bin Laden?" he questions, adding that the main concern is not the viability of the western-style democracy, but whether western-style democracy can be made to work in an eastern-style culture.

"And, when we have a verdict, it may be too late," Jonas concludes.

ANI