Prez-in-waiting Zardari yet to prove his readiness to combat militancy

PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari is all set to assume Presidency after tomorrows poll, but it is yet to be seen how forcefully he will act against militants in the face of Pakistani public opposition to American pressure. Nor is it clear how much influence he exerts over the still powerful military and the nations premier spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence, said an editorial in the New York Times.

Islamabad, Sept 5 : PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari is all set to assume Presidency after tomorrow's poll, but it is yet to be seen how forcefully he will act against militants in the face of Pakistani public opposition to American pressure. Nor is it clear how much influence he exerts over the still powerful military and the nation's premier spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence, said an editorial in the New York Times.

Describing Zardari's ascendancy to Presidency as "an accidental ascent for a man known more as a wheeler-dealer than a leader", the paper said that he will start his tenure burdened by a "history of corruption allegations" that cloud his reputation, though they remain unproved.

According to the paper, Zardari has displayed a sudden willingness to take on the Taliban, saying last week that he would ban them and freeze their assets, a starting point strongly favored by the US State Department, though it would have limited practical impact.

"Zardari is a businessman," said a Western diplomat. "He says to himself: 'I know I need American support. What do they want? They want this,' " meaning a stance against the Taliban.

But, as Zardari moved to the fore, some efforts to please Washington have exposed his uneasy relationship with the military, and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the powerful spy agency he accused of assassinating his wife last December.

A leading Pakistani journalist Najam Sethi, who was once an opponent but now a supporter of Zardari, said the elevation of Zardari would suit the Americans. Zardari, he said, "will learn on the job." And indeed, Zardari (53) has shown canny political skills as he has moved in the last two weeks to outmaneuver his former coalition partner Nawaz Sharif who served twice as prime minister, added the paper.

In the words of Pakistan's journalist-turned-diplomat Maleeha Lodhi, Zardari as President may lack authority because of his controversial past. "Zardari will wield unprecedented power for a civilian president. But he may lack authority in view of his checkered and controversial past," said Maleeha, who was appointed as Pakistan's ambassador to the US by Zardari's wife Benazir Bhutto.

As president he will have, according to the Constitution, immunity from prosecution. He will enjoy top-notch security. And he will be provided with the rites of protocol that will allow him to appear on the world stage as a leader in his own right, and not just as the spouse of one.

ANI