In the three years I covered Pakistan, one thing became clear: The military calls the shots. Sometimes, it has been a stabilizing influence. Often, it has simply meddled in politics and law to get what it wants. 

Now, Pakistan’s judicial system appears to be fighting back. Hasan Ali’s story today points to what could, if it gathers momentum, become the single most important development since independence. Nuclear-armed Pakistan is a key Western ally and a nation of both tremendous potential and peril. Its bid for freedom from military control would ripple around the world.