In a move reminiscent of the Vietnam-era logic that justified destroying a village to save it from communism, Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has suspended his country's constitution for the sake of saving its democracy. That decision is only the latest in a series of missteps that have undermined the government in Islamabad and contributed to instability in Pakistan.
Mr. Musharraf must reverse course. He should end the state of emergency, release political prisoners, take off his uniform and hold national elections before Feb. 15, 2008, as promised.
Mr. Musharraf's tenure as president has been stormy. He took power in a bloodless coup in 1999, arguing that he had to depose then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to save the country from corruption, incompetence and creeping Islamic fundamentalism. That move was initially greeted with some relief — his views were shared by many inside and outside Pakistan — but over time there has been growing dissatisfaction with him and his government. He has exiled opposition leaders, rigged elections, packed the country's supreme court and suspended judges when they angered him.