ISLAMABAD -- Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's military ruler, has consolidated his rule with a controversial national referendum seeking a five-year term, but questions central to security interests in South Asia linger over the outlook for his nuclear-armed country.
In Pakistan's 55-year history, the country's military, which has been in charge roughly half the time, has often positioned itself to remain in control of politics even when it is out of power.
Like Musharraf, his two predecessors, Gen. Mohammad Zia ul-Haq (1978-1988) and Gen. Mohammad Ayub Khan (1958-1969), chose to extend their rule through referendums in which they sought the public's consent over whether they should continue in power. The fact that such referendums have been characterized as single-candidate elections has made them controversial.