Grossly unpopular and legally questionable changes to the constitution didn't do it. Neither did a farcical referendum to secure legitimacy, nor festering resentment over the economic and social woes that plague the Pakistani population. Instead, Pakistanis have united in a vocal groundswell of opposition to President Pervez Musharraf due to the suspension of a judge -- a rather routine political technique in Pakistan that has unexpectedly morphed into a nightmare of historic proportions for the leader. It should have been a simple bait and switch. Musharraf's goal was to remove an authority figure ill-disposed to acquiescence in the general's leadership whims and find a more pliable replacement. The result has been months of growing protests, government crackdowns, deadly chaos on the streets of Pakistan's largest city, and nationwide strikes -- all amounting to the single biggest challenge to Musharraf's rule since he seized power in 1999.
Pakistan’s Musharraf Faces Biggest Challenge to His Rule Yet
