For about an hour, former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf attempted to justify his past questionable actions and later announced his resignation as President. BBC reported that many in Pakistan were celebrating his departure as the country looked for a new future.

Although President Musharraf seized power using a military coup, it cannot be denied that his rule brought an uneasy blanket of peace in the severely divided nation. The threat of terrorism has continued to feed fear within the public, and political instability threatened the people’s confidence of the government. President Musharraf’s rule has somewhat pacified Pakistan against these elements.

I am not defending President Musharraf by any means, but it is critical to acknowledge his reason for taking power. Pakistan is not a wholly unified country. There are still strong geographic and some sectarian loyalties in many region that transcend the construct of Pakistani nationalism.

With the exit of Musharraf, Pakistan’s future is quite nervously mysterious. The divided parliament will need to put their political rivalries aside to make progress for Pakistan. Economic reform and domestic security need quick attention. The government must move quickly to address these problems, or they will face illegitimacy, leading the country into potential chaos.

Many in the west are carefully monitoring the situation. Would the strong relationship between Pakistan and United States hold in the coming years? Will Pakistan go aggressive against terrorist groups in remote parts of the country? These questions might be answered in the coming months.