For the overwhelming majority of British people, most Britons, Pakistan’s current local elections could hardly be of less concern. This is a mistake. For But just as political developments in Algeria and Morocco now affect the Arab population of France, so, in a sense, do elections in Pakistan alsoin a sense take place in Bradford, Leeds and Leicester.

As the first wave of London bombings in July so cruelly emphasised, developments in western Europe and in parts of the Muslim world are intertwined. Instability and extremism in certain Muslim lands has have the power to damage Europe badly. In response, Therefore, o just as France should be charged with leading lead a massive European Union programme to help the Maghreb, so Britain should lead the EU in creating a development strategy for Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.