By Invitation | Pakistan’s election

A former ambassador argues that Pakistan needs a new political compact

Free and fair elections are just the start of what’s required to bring stability and prosperity, says Husain Haqqani

Illustration: Dan Williams

PAKISTAN’S NEXT general election, scheduled for February 8th, is unlikely to resolve problems rooted in the country’s troubled history. Carved out from the Muslim-majority portions of British India, Pakistan has spent the best part of its life competing with India. In the process, the country has developed nuclear weapons and boasts the world’s sixth-largest standing army. But it has faced repeated economic failures and persistently poor human-development indicators.

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