Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari has become conscience of the designs of his opponents to throw him out of the high office by hook or crook. Though belated he is taking all possible steps to strengthen his grip to retaln the high office. Realizing that he has isolated himself from the ground realities, he is doing everything what president’s normally do-travelling around the country, addressing meetings, holding darbars to assert himself publicly as the country’s head. For months, he rarely left the presidential Palace except to travel abroad.
It now seems more likely that Mr. Zardari will survive in power, although he will remain a weak, unpopular leader, ignoring the important questions that dog the country, including economy, security and social problems besides eliminating the menace of terrorism from the soil of Pakistan. It is an urgent question for the USA, which is depending on cooperation from Pakistan, its prickly ally, to carry out new war strategy for neighboring Afghanistan. Pakistan western maountains are a sanctuary for militants. The administration of Barack obama has been pressing Pakistan to flush the militants out. America’s Defence Secretary Robert M.Gates also visited Pakistan recently to pressurize the Pakistani leaders to achieve this objective. America’s officials continue to rely heavily on their relationship with the country’s powerful military. During his visit to india, Gates had hinted at a full scale war between india and Pakistan if 26/11 was repeated. Gates opined that an indo-pakistan war was what Al-Quida and Lashkar-e-Tioba militant outfits were seeking. He, however, did not elaborate why such a war was sought by Pakistan Jehadis or any power was egging them to think so.
While Mr. Zardari has been receptive to the American overtures, champrioning the war against the militants his weakness has hobbled his ability to defend the American policies he supports like the large US aid package last year.
Mr. Zardari started his mass contact campaign in December-end by visiting Sindh, Baluchistan, Punjab and NWFP. Through this programme, he is trying to salvage his image and reclaim some political space, rallying the grass roots of his party and seizing the headlines in the newspapers. Many analysts say that Zardari is also scared of military and judiciary because if they want to knock his out, they can. But he wants to fight back with fresh lease of life which has got after his mass contact tours. Zardari has strained releations with the military, whose leaders have ruled the country for about half of pakistan’s 62 years old history.
