Pak Elections

The Results are out in Pakistan and as it was anticipated, nobody has a clear majority. But it's clear that people have rejected Musharraf's regim. The pro- Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League has got a severe beating in the polls.

The Pakistan People's Party under leadership of Asif Ali Zardari, late. Benazir Bhutto's widower, had not reaped a mass sympathy vote, as it was espected. On the other Hand, Former Prime Minister Nawaz Shariff's Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) produced a surprise result. And small parties have got small sections. So, Nobody has got a chance to make the Government.

Now this has raised a whole new bunch of questions. Will the President step down? will a coillition come into existance? and will the coillition really last long? will Pakistan have a new Government? will that Government be able to solve the problems of inflation, power cuts and food shortages?

We'll see this in coming times. But markets in Pakistan are showing optimism since the results came, with a rise of more than three percent, as it's reported.

Next few days are going to be very crucial.From what it seems, there is one possibility. PPP Leader Asif Zardari might join hands with Shariff's PML(N) .

There's another thing- the results in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) are quite interesting. Here, a secular ethnic Pashtun nationalist party has, beaten Islamist parties. The area is known to be conservative.

But in light of these results, there is a basic thing one needs to keep in mind- only around 40 % . In many areas like NWFP, women were banned from voting. But still, 40% is not bad to start with, for a country deprived of Democracy for past nine years, and many more before that.