It is precisely Zardari’s ability to do the unthinkable that has consistently confounded both his detractors and admirers and given him the aura of great cunning and cleverness.

If the army is not in favour of a coup, attempts could be made to defuse the tension through a compromise between the army and the government, with some leadership change acting as a face-saver.

Unwilling to allow the PPP an opportunity to gain a majority in the Senate, the Army and other political actors are willing participants in efforts to topple the government through the judiciary.

In a nation beleaguered by a multitude of problems ranging from a deteriorating law and order situation to massive power cuts and a sliding economy, Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has become a beacon for change.

By staging such a massive gathering in Lahore, it appears that the military is trying to bring JuD into mainstream politics, which is clearly an ominous sign of the times to come.

The importance of the MFN status issue lies in the debate that the agreement has initiated in Pakistan, which could influence both the internal political structures of the country as well as the way it deals with its neighbours.

Byzantine intrigues are nothing new in the sordid world of Pakistan’s power politics.

At a time of such monumental, even existential, challenges, if all that Pakistan can come up with is a vacuous demagogue like Imran Khan, then its future is pretty bleak.