Meanwhile, the country’s internal security is deteriorating. The nine-month loan facility simply buys Islamabad a little time to seek other credit lines. Despite last month’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund on a $3 billion Stand-By Arrangement (SBA), the economy remains in terrible shape with the payments balance under heavy pressure. Pakistan enters its 76th year of independence as a brittle state with a dysfunctional polity, a radicalized populace, and weak external relations. A split fall election result is the generals’ best chance to reassert control.Riots over ousted Prime Minister Khan show risks of stage-managed politics.
