LA CRISIS POLÍTICA EN PAKISTÁN (2007-2009): UNA VISIÓN DESDE LA EMBAJADA DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS EN ISLAMABAD

Abstract

The last two years March / 2007 to March / 2009 were a turning point in the process of democratic transition in Pakistan. The reelection ambition of General Pervez Musharraf and his confrontation with the judiciary sparked a political crisis in a complicated internal scenario exacerbated by Islamist violence and the pressures of US counterterrorism strategy. The crisis led to a democratic transition that ended the military regime and brought back to power to a civilian government weakened by the destabilizing effects of the old partisan bickering. The cables from the US embassy in Islamabad, revealed by Wikileds in November 2010, confirmed that Washington and the Pakistani military acted as mediators and arbitrators in the game of political forces. This article discusses some events of the period in the light of these documents, focusing on three key issues: the circumstances of the departure of Musharraf from power, the role of the US and military in the process, and the confrontation Zardari/ Sharif and its effect on civil-military relations.