In a week during which the doom-mongers have had a field day outlining the hopelessness of the Afghan cause, the prospect of neighbouring Pakistan collapsing into chaos is by far the most troubling development. The endemic corruption that has severely inhibited the effectiveness of the Afghan government in Kabul, and the seemingly never-ending supply of young Muslim fighters prepared to sacrifice their lives fighting coalition troops, are undoubtedly challenges that make Nato’s attempts to bring stability and security to Afghanistan immensely difficult. Pakistan now finds itself on the cusp of a financial crisis that could have repercussions far beyond the world of high finance - it is the one thing that could push the country over the abyss, into total collapse.