Pakistan is expected this weekend to begin the countdown to a general election that, if successful, would be a historic first: the country's first proper democratic transition since its founding in 1947. On Saturday, the Pakistani parliament's term will expire, paving the way for the formation of a caretaker government that will oversee elections slated to take place by early May. If all goes to plan, it will mark the first time for Pakistan that a democratically elected government has completed a full five-year term and transferred power to a new civilian administration.
