Pervez Musharraf has now tried to placate his opponents – by lifting the state of emergency, setting a date for elections, and, ostensibly, shedding his uniform. Despite the seeming success of activists and lawyers long calling for this last action, our cover image this issue, by Islamabad cartoonist Fauzia Minallah, depicts the true nature of the general’s decision: a naked power-grab by an autocrat who has silenced the Constitution and compromised the political parties.

Indeed, General (retd) Musharraf has now started down a time-tested road laid down by autocrats immemorial: use the fear of chaos, the stranglehold of the military over society, and the geopolitical weight of the US to bolster your place amidst a sullen populace. The task of building credible democratic institutions is tough; pushing for accountability is even harder, particularly in a country caught in the web of military rule for too long. But it must be done, by people’s movements and political parties alike, before any hope of democracy is forsaken.