At the stroke of midnight Sunday, Pakistan made history.

It marked the first time a democratically-elected government served a full five-year term in the country's 65-year history.

In its short existence, Pakistan has experienced three military coups, been ruled by generals for half its life, and it remains mired in near-constant political turmoil.

"Despite all the odds, completion of the term is an extraordinary and historic achievement," Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said in an address to the nation Saturday night.

Ashraf said his country has a long history of confrontation between democratic and nondemocratic forces, but that democracy has now notched a victory.

In the next few days, a caretaker government will be put in place to oversee the country through its next elections scheduled for May.

Success at a price

While the five-year term completion is a milestone well worth nothing, it has come with a price.

The ruling Pakistan Peoples Party rode to power on the back of a populace disillusioned with then-President Pervez Musharraf's policies that led to shortage of essential food items, power cuts and a skyrocketing inflation.

Pakistanis also disapproved of the way Musharraf carried out his end of the "war on terror" -- and used it as a crutch to explain away many of his unpopular moves.