Ground is shifting underneath diplomacy with Pakistan
A new prime minister and an opposition cabinet mean the U.S. must find new ways of interfacing with an important ally.
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — Not so long ago, the Bush administration could take a one-stop approach to its dealings with Pakistan. Whether Washington wanted to carry out airstrikes against Al Qaeda, to trade sensitive intelligence, or to orchestrate the arrest of a terror suspect, it essentially came down to dialing the number of one man: President Pervez Musharraf.
Now all that has changed. Newly inaugurated Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani has vowed to take a hard new look at counter-terrorism, the centerpiece of Musharraf's nearly nine-year rule. He will be backed by a Cabinet made up of former opposition figures who probably will be sworn in this week.
An assertive new parliament is vowing to wield authority that lawmakers here lacked for years, demanding oversight on matters that were previously the president's sole purview. And the general who succeeded Musharraf as army chief just four months ago has methodically removed the powerful military from politics and promised accountability to elected officials.
When it comes to relations with the United States, the public mood is angry. It is highly likely that some U.S. military actions routinely allowed under the old regime will be subject to greater scrutiny.
But some analysts and officials said that despite a universal desire to put the United States on notice that the center of gravity has shifted away from Musharraf, many basic elements of the American-Pakistani relationship will remain in place, even in all-important security matters.
The new government has pledged to restore Pakistan's status as a parliamentary democracy in which the president has mainly ceremonial powers.
That seems in line with Musharraf's role of late. In the past week, he has occupied himself with duties such as watching a military parade from the reviewing stand and presiding over ceremonies like the somewhat awkward swearing-in of Gillani, whom Musharraf had once jailed for five years.
"It's a sea change," said Talat Hussain, a senior journalist and analyst. "The whole idea of serious undertakings occurring on only one person's authority, without review or scrutiny by any institution -- that is the problem that everyone wanted addressed, and now it is being addressed."
The widespread perception of Musharraf as a puppet of the United States has been a driving force in events of recent months, including the devastating defeat of the president's party in February elections.
