I wonder what was the need for this? People of Pakistan have given a mandate to PPP, but why does Zardari believe he needs support from the USA rather the act on the mandate given to him by the people of Pakistan? Interesting times ahead.
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=13108
**Should Zardari have called on US ambassador? **
ISLAMABAD: The more things change the more they remain the same. This is especially true of Wednesday’s meeting between PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and US Ambassador Anne W Patterson.
Eyebrows were raised in Islamabad as to why Zardari, in his present position when his party has received the people’s mandate, felt it necessary to drive all the way and call on the US envoy?
“Have you ever heard of or seen India’s Sonia Gandhi going to the American Embassy even while in the opposition? I think it is unfortunate that the leader of a major political party felt it necessary to rush and meet the American envoy in Pakistan before he met fellow politicians. I have nothing against meetings with diplomats but they must call on party leaders”, says Dr Shireen Mazari, DG of the Institute of Strategic Studies.
That the US is still working on its original plan of supporting President Pervez Musharraf is also quite apparent and this is the message that is being conveyed to both Asif Ali Zardari and Nawaz Sharif. In fact Senator John Kerry was quite blunt in his remarks on Tuesday when he said that Zardari, Sharif and Musharraf had no qualms about working with each other.
“I’m not aware of any lobbying by the Americans and it is certainly the first time that I am hearing about it”, responded Maj Gen.(retd) Rashid Qureshi, the president’s spokesman when approached by ‘The News’.
A number of American congressmen who have been meeting Musharraf have all publicly supported him. “Certainly the Americans have not abandoned their original game plan but there was a setback after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. The recent election results have also taken them by surprise and at the moment I see the Americans ‘exploring’ what their next move should be”, says former foreign secretary Tanvir Ahmed Khan.
Former ISI chief Gen(retd) Hamid Gul also appears unhappy at the call on the American ambassador. “This is never done. Our party leaders, whom the people have returned with heavy mandate, should be respected. Arm-twisting them at a time like this when Pakistan is at a difficult stage clearly shows that they are not really our true friends. We have paid with our blood and today our politicians should at least respect the wishes of the people of Pakistan”, he said.
Mazari feels that the Americans are not very comfortable with the leader of another political party (without naming Nawaz Sharif) who has a more ‘nationalist’ view. “Obviously they are intervening and this will undermine our democratic process and it is certainly no service to Pakistan”, she says.
But Tanveer Khan says it is not only the Americans but also the European diplomats who are quite active in ‘exploring’ the lay of the land before, with the Americans, they finalize their policy.
“The Americans’ first preference would be a coalition of the PPP and the PML (N) working with Musharraf. After all they had initially convinced Benazir Bhutto to work with Musharraf and they would like this to continue with Zardari. Their second preference is to work on Nawaz Sharif. In these last 72 hours these ‘exploratory’ meetings have been continuing. They are still testing the waters,” Khan said.