No meddling:

After years of American enabling and billions in aid, Pakistan’s Pervez Musharraf, was — to put it delicately —trounced in Monday’s parliamentary elections. The results are more than US President Bush deserved after over-investing in the former general and his anti-democratic excesses.

The White House has long insisted that there was no choice but to look the other way as Musharraf jailed journalists and lawyers, dismissed the Supreme Court and declared emergency rule. Now the question is whether the Bush administration can take this opportunity and develop a sensible policy that focuses both on building stable democratic institutions in Pakistan and winning popular support. Bush must quickly reach out to Pakistan’s newly elected parliamentary leaders, many of whom resent the US for its uncritical support of the former general. Bush could calm some of their anger by publicly warning to Musharraf that the US will not tolerate any further meddling.

US can start by sending a clear message that it cares about Pakistan’s people and that it will do a lot more to build up its schools, courts and political parties. The lesson of the last six years — and Musharraf’s defeat — is undeniable: without popular support, there will be

no stability in Pakistan and no hope of defeating terrorists. — International Herald Tribune