The gathering storm!

The permanently smiling posture of Mr Zardari notwithstanding, dark clouds seem converging around Pakistan amidst a frenetic effort on the part of the establishment to convince the American masters of its willingness, even eagerness, to do as instructed, and more. No wonder, Mr Zardari feels that the US president's leadership has 'made the world a safer place'. He alerted the world to the danger that, without the policies of George W Bush, "it could have been much worse."

The real faux pas came in the later part of the interview with The Washington Post when he said, "The axis of evil is growing." Did he realise that the term "axis of evil" as used by the US includes Iran also? Or, is it that, in a mad rush to convince the Americans of his unflinching loyalty, and in his bid to outdo his dictator predecessor in servility, Mr Zardari would not be bothered about our relations with other friendly countries?

Battling a rapidly falling graph in popularity and confronted with the growing prospect of an irreversible failure of the myopic policies in Iraq and Afghanistan, even President Bush or his diehard neo-con aides would not have imagined that they would find such vociferous and no-holds-barred approval from a cornered ally barely a month from the holding of the US presidential elections.

Exactly the opposite would have painted a more realistic picture but, then, Mr Zardari seems to be constantly hiding behind coloured glasses that he started wearing after the courtesies extended by the US in the shape of that parting gift from the dictator, the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), that paved the way for his speedy ascent to the seat of power in Pakistan to serve the American interests like no other ruler before his elevation to the coveted office has done! It seems there is no stopping anywhere as it appears to be one long, smooth haul to surrendering even the last vestiges of self-respect and sovereignty to the intrusions of the Americans and, in the process, an entanglement in the ill-conceived perception that it may be consolidating his hold on the reins of power in the country.