Description: Pakistan has undergone a number of significant changes in the past two years, some of them promising, others perhaps pointing to longer-term dangers. In November 1996, a corrupt and inefficient government led by Benazir Bhutto was dismissed and an interim government installed. New elections were held in February 1997, resulting in a large victory by the Pakistan Muslim League led by Mian Nawaz Sharif.

On the positive side, this government has taken cautious and tentative steps toward normalizing relations with India. Also, the interim government formulated a program to moderate the serious economic and financial difficulties in which Pakistan has become ensnared -- and there are hints of progress toward economic liberalization.

Nevertheless, hotly contested disputes between the judiciary and the executive branches of the Pakistani government continue. The violence that has come from Sunni Shia sectarianism has not been moderated or eliminated. Plus, the environmental deterioration of the country continues amid little action by the government.

The contributors to this up-to-the-minute volume provide insight into both Pakistan's optimistic prospects and its threatening problems as they have unfolded over the past two years. These illuminating essays are enhanced by a detailed chronology of the events of 1996-1997.

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