In decades past there were military coups. In more recent times, it’s the legal authorities that have orchestrated the ousters. Some read these actions as reflections of accountability and democracy; others lambast them as power plays to eliminate undesirables. There may well be elements of truth to both explanations.

Either way, this much is true: A prime minister has never served a full five-year term in Pakistan. Achieving that milestone could remain sadly elusive for the foreseeable future.

Michael Kugelman is the Asia program deputy director and senior associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson Center.

Image: Supporters of the opposition leader Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party attend a celebration rally after Supreme Court disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from office, in Islamabad, Pakistan July 30, 2017. REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood