Lessons of history

This is not the fist time in Pakistan's unfortunate history that a usurper of power or an elected dictator has been forced to quit. Will Musharraf's ignominious departure from the political scene make any long-term difference to the wellbeing of the country?
There can be no dearth of arguments and counter-arguments for or against the wishful conclusion that Musharraf's ouster will strengthen institutions and the put the country back on the path of political stability and economic prosperity. My personal view is that getting rid of an undesirable and (rightly or wrongly) maligned) political figure may be only a temporary solution. It cannot elevate the nation as a whole to a higher, respectable position among the socially and politically advanced nations of the world.
Nations evolve and come into being as separate and distinct people as a manifestation of common history, geography, race, religion, language or common aspirations. However, their continued existence depends upon their internal strengths derived from their dominant social and political institutions, homogeneity of their population, and their common character, attitudes and behaviour exhibited by an overwhelming majority of the people concerned.
Are we, as a nation, internally strong? The original Pakistan of 1947 survived for less than 25 years only. The left-over Pakistan, or the West Pakistan on December 16,1971, has no doubt survived for another 36 years. But the only lesson our elected or unelected, civil and uncivil rulers learnt from dismemberment of the country in 1971 was that they learnt no lesson from it.
It shows only a lack of internal strength in the society; it has been evident from the fact that one dictator after another has been taking over the country with impunity. In my view the process has not come to an end with the removal of Parvez Musharraf. It will continue. It will continue because democracy is a system of governance for self-respecting people. Pakistanis miss it only once in every about 10 years. That is what the history is.