Meanwhile, the recent visit to Pakistan by the US deputy secretary and the assistant secretary of state beginning on the eve of the prime minister’s oath-taking has raised many an eyebrow. It was seen as an attempt by Washington to influence the ruling coalition in favour of their favourite Pakistani, President Musharraf. The media and the politicians, however, denounced the hurried visit in such unequivocal terms that it forced the US officials to go on the defensive, restricting their parting comments to saying that Washington would do all it could to work with the new government. But the damage and the hurt caused by the visit continued, for as the two state department officials departed, a group of US Congressmen and women arrived in Islamabad to enlist the new government’s support for Musharraf.

The ruling coalition trio comprising Zardari, Sharif and Asfandyar Wali told the Americans categorically that they should not expect any future policy on Pakistan’s commitments given on the “war on terror” to be the prerogative of any one man any more. After meeting the Americans, Sharif boldly went to the media to say that Pakistan could not be allowed to become the killing fields for the sake of America’s security. The three leaders have vowed to subject all important policy matters to scrutiny by parliament, the last thing the Americans came to hear. But Western countries and their ambassadors, under American pressure, continue to support Musharraf, even though many have met Sharif, Zardari and Wali since the February 18 election and officially offered their support to the new government. Lately, US officials have even met the defunct chief justice but kept mum on the issue of the judiciary’s independence.

... contd.