But before anyone could rest easy thinking that the Taliban may yet have met their match in Zardari, he opted for political expediency over security. On Sunday, the Pakistani government called for a ceasefire in the fight against northern militants to observe Ramadan. The decision to withdraw troops from the Bajaur Agency, where a sustained operation had been underway for several weeks, was understood to be a move by Zardari to win the support of religious parties in this Saturday’s election. Indeed, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, a powerful Islamist party, had called for troop withdrawal from the region, describing military operations there as the result of an American mandate. Security experts have since argued that the ceasefire will give the Taliban a chance to regroup and consolidate their presence in the area.

Despite having to wheel and deal his way into the president’s seat, Zardari is also beginning to show troubling signs of overconfidence. The Pakistani president has historically been a politically neutral figure with no affiliations to a specific political party. Zardari, however, has already indicated that he would like to maintain his position as the co-chairman of the PPP, rather than resign from the party. This winner-take-all attitude is especially worrying given that Zardari will be president while Article 58 (2) (b) — which enables the president to dismiss the national assembly — is in effect. The PPP has committed to reforming that undemocratic provision, but Zardari has ensured that their pledge seems like an irrelevant footnote.

On Wednesday, militants from the Swat Valley, where the army recently conducted an extensive operation, shot at Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s motorcade. Hopefully Gilani’s narrow escape will remind Zardari of the gravity of the situation and the perils of the post he seeks to assume. At this juncture, Pakistan cannot afford doubletalk and dissembling. Already, the Wall Street Journal has cited the country as the best case to be made against democracy. When he becomes president, Zardari will be forced by circumstance, if not the country’s citizens, to mould rather than manipulate Pakistan’s future.

... contd.