Toward Stability

Pakistan's most crucial political issue is whether or not the nation's first general elections, scheduled for next November, will provide a common ballot for all voters or separate ballots (and separate candidates) for Moslem, Hindu, Christian and other minorities.

President Iskander Mirza appears to favor the separate-ballot system because it would automatically ensure a Moslem majority in the government, which, in turn, would automatically ensure his stay in office. His opponents believe the separate ballot will divide the nation permanently into bitter religious factions and lead inevitably to its dissolution. Two months ago Mirza named Moslem League Leader Ismail Chundrigar as Pakistan's sixth Prime Minister, succeeding bouncy Hussein S. Suhrawardy (TIME, Oct. 28). But last week Pakistan's Republican Party rebelled against Chundrigar's proposal for separate-ballot elections, and withdrew its support.

Submerging their other differences, 45 of the National Assembly's 80 members pledged themselves to support a common ballot, demanded that President Mirza name Republican Party Leader Malik Firoz Khan Noon, a onetime protege of Pakistan's famed Founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah, to form a caretaker government to rule until next year's general elections. If his 45-man majority stands firm and Prime Minister Noon brings about elections next year with a common ballot, Pakistan will have taken a long step along the road to political stability.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.