Pakistanis have long been aware that Zardari comes mired in corruption charges — though never convicted, it is well known that he fears reinstating the judges because they may revoke the legal amnesty granted to him by the previous government. But the extent of his shamelessness has never before been so publicly demonstrated. In his failure to keep his oath to Sharif, Zardari has shown that he is unreliable, and not afraid to show it. More importantly, he has done a disservice to the thousands of Pakistanis who have been protesting the deposition of the judges since November 2007.

Zardari’s behaviour towards the Pakistani Taliban has been no more consistent. On the same day that his presidential nomination was announced, he declared that Pakistan and the world were losing the war on terror and that the Taliban had “the upper hand” in the country’s northern areas. The next day, on a recommendation Zardari made in an interview with the BBC, the Pakistani government banned the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and froze the extremist organisation’s bank accounts. The move was seen as an attempt by Zardari to reassure the international community that he was indeed the man for the job in a time when Pakistani militancy threatens to spiral out of control.

No doubt, with regards to addressing the Taliban presence in Pakistan’s tribal and northern areas, Zardari is perceived to be a better option than Sharif. It is well known that Sharif is a religious man who in the late 1990s banned rock music, aimed to impose Islamic law in Pakistan, and hoped to designate himself Amirul Momineen (leader of the Muslim world). Zardari, on the other hand, brings secular credentials to the table as well as a compelling narrative about a wife allegedly assassinated by militants.

... contd.