Together with restoring the supreme and high court judges retired by Musharraf, Zardari’s People’s Party had also pledged, with Sharif, to purge the constitution of Musharraf’s amendments which empowered the president to send a government packing. But with Zardari or his sister, Faryal Talpur — who is running as a covering candidate in case Zardari is barred from contesting for some reason — likely to become president, the PPP is now also playing down its originally-stated intent to purge the office of many of its powers. That is why Sharif’s Muslim League has hit back by nominating its own candidate for presidency, pitching the former chief justice of Pakistan, Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui, against Zardari. The judge in 2000 had refused to stamp his approval on Musharraf’s military takeover, opting for early retirement.

If Sharif is able to get the support of the erstwhile King’s Party, the Muslim League-Q, to save his government in Punjab after the PPP leaves it, then the race for the presidency may take a new turn. The vote in parliament will be through secret ballot, and if enough MPs could be persuaded to vote according to their conscience, Zardari may well be in trouble. But politicians in Pakistan as elsewhere seldom show conscience, toeing the party line instead. The Zardari-loyalist governor of Punjab has warned Sharif against horse trading. Buying of MP’s votes is hardly an unknown phenomenon in South Asia.  All this while Pakistan reels under the worst bout of instability in many years. Challenges abound: the rupee is low, as are stocks; Pakistan’s version of the Taliban strikes everywhere; insurgencies and sectarian violence abound. There’s little semblance of order, much less of effective governance.

... contd.