India-Pakistan Ties Continue to Grow, but Afghanistan Remains Unsettled.

This article presents information on political conditions in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. With the four phases of Indian elections scheduled for completion by mid-May 2004 and ties with Pakistan continuing to show signs of further growth, it still remains difficult to determine which government policies are long-term and which were designed to win the elections. Interesting developments within and without the country have created some significant anomalies. Pakistan's Supreme Court has allowed Shabaz Shareef, younger brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Shareef and head of the old Muslim League party, to return to Pakistan from his exile abroad.