| So long, Perv ... |
This sharp twist in Washington's thinking, according to knowledgeable sources, stems from a reassessment of the fast changing ground realities on Pakistan's political landscape. The groundswell of popular anger and resentment against Musharraf, voiced through the lawyers and his erstwhile buddies, has become irresistible. It is now evident that Musharraf's position is increasingly becoming untenable and the administration can support him only at the cost of a severe damage to its interest in the region.
Policy planners in the State Department and Pentagon have held this view for quite long since the stunning outcome of the February 18 polls. They were, however, hamstrung by President George W. Bush's stubborn defence of his trusted ally.
"This hurdle has now been removed," says a diplomatic source privy to the fresh signals coming from Washington. It is believed that President Bush, Musharraf's only backer left in Washington, has finally been persuaded to accept the inevitable and be prepared to bid adieu to his beleaguered friend. The administration analysts agree that a qualitative change has already occurred in Pakistan's political landscape in which Musharraf's ability to influence policies and course of events has diminished substantially.
Those who matter in the new dispensation include coalition leadership, with Asif Zardari sitting on top, and the army chief Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani as key factor in decision-making on issues like terrorism. Musharraf is left with no levers to influence either of the two sets of wielders of power in Pakistan. The US president, however, is worried that Musharraf's detractors may humiliate him by dragging him to courts or instituting impeachment process in the Parliament for which requisite numbers are available to the coalition.