Since September 11, 2001, Musharraf has been even more brazen than pre-September in riding roughshod overthe opinions, criticisms and opposition of the mainstream parties. By its uncritical support to him and bysuddenly becoming silent on his adherence to the so-called roadmap for the restoration of a genuine and not asham democracy, the US has created an impression in his mind, more rightly than wrongly, that it considers hiscontinuance in power indispensable and, hence, would close its eyes to his repeated outrageous violation ofdemocratic norms in the name of democracy.