ISLAMABAD -- Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif faces a rising political storm in his nuclear-capable country, just halfway through his five-year term in office. The significance of Pakistan's worsening political environment has been noted by the United States, which has campaigned for over a year to get India and Pakistan, the world's two newest nuclear powers, to accept international nuclear-nonproliferation instruments, such as the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty or CTBT.
On Sept. 20, a U.S. official told Pakistan's political and military actors that it would "strongly oppose" any attempt to overthrow Sharif's government through unconstitutional means. It was a clear message of concern over recent reports that the country's powerful military could be prompted by disgruntled politicians to maneuver behind the scenes and overthrow Sharif's government, now widely considered to be one of the most unpopular regimes in Pakistan's recent history.
Elected in early 1997 on the back of a landslide electoral victory, Sharif has won few friends among the increasingly united opposition political parties, who demand his immediate resignation followed by fresh elections.