The future of democracy in Pakistan will be bleak as long as Pakistan’s democrats disrespect the country’s democratic institutions. Treated with benign neglect, the edifice of Pakistan’s parliamentary democracy will crumble on its own—with no military hand involved.

Arif Rafiq is an adjunct scholar at the Middle East Institute and president of Vizier Consulting, LLC, which provides strategic guidance on Middle East and South Asian political and security issues. He tweets at: @arifcrafiq.