Khokhar's resignation.

IT is the misfortune of Pakistani politics that even those who speak the loudest about their love for democracy often just pay lip service to its principles. That certainly appears to be the case with the PPP, which on Wednesday demanded Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar's resignation from his Senate seat for expressing views that had, perhaps, caused it some embarrassment with the state. Mr Khokhar, acknowledging what had gotten him into trouble, said on Twitter that, 'As a political worker, I cherish my right to express my opinions on matters of public interest'. It is to his credit as a politician and a public representative that he has been applauded across political lines for surrendering his seat than be cowed into silence. He now joins PPP stalwarts Farhatullah Babar and Aitzaz Ahsan in the wilderness - sidelined for refusing to toe the line by a party that runs like a dynasty and describes itself as the last true guardian of Pakistani democracy.

This is not to say the other parties are any better. In our country, 'Political power [...] is...