Asif Ali Zardari completed one year in office with his presidency dogged by the chill in Indo-Pak relations post 26/11 as he confronts with problems of credibility and public perception that he lacks experience to overcome problems ranging from economic woes to a Taliban insurgency. The 54-year-old widower of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto is still plagued by links to corruption scandals dating back to his days as a federal minister in the 1980s,with numerous SMS jokes still referring to him as Mr 10 per cent. Zardari,who completed one year in office yesterday,and his party-led government are under pressure from the US and international community besides India to act against the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks. Though he tried to normalise relations with India during a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Russia in June,the Indian leader publicy snubbed him,saying his mandate was to tell him to act against terrorists targeting India. Pakistan tried to resume the Composite Dialogue,which was put on hold by India after the attacks in Mumbai,but New Delhi has clearly told that it cannot be resumed till Islamabad acts against the attackers. Despite his firm grip on the Pakistan Peoples Party and the coalition led by it at the centre,Zardari continues to face criticism from the public and media for his perceived failure to shore up the flagging economy and tackle crises like a crippling energy shortage and rising prices. Since his election to Pakistans most powerful office,Zardari has rarely appeared in public and has not visited any of the areas where the military has been conducting operations against the Taliban. Detractors who criticise Zardari for his lack of experience refer to his controversial decision to dismiss the PML-N government and impose Governors Rule in Punjab earlier this year and his reluctance to restore the judges deposed by former President Pervez Musharraf during the 2007 emergency despite widespread public support for them. In both cases,Zardari was forced to back down and reverse his decisions. Sharif emerged stronger after leading a nationwide protest that forced the government to restore the judges,including Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. The media has criticised him for his frequent visits abroad,and the Daily Times recently reported that Zardari spent a quarter of his first year in the presidency outside the country. A recent Pew Global Attitudes poll said only 32 per cent of Pakistanis had a favourable opinion of Zardari,down from 64 per cent a year ago. And Zardaris popularity has plummeted just as that of his rival,PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif,has soared. In most polls,Zardari trails behind Sharif and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. These factors have leaders of the PPP worried despite its commanding position in parliament. There are no challengers to Zardari now but his style of leadership leaves much to be desired. If things dont change,the PML-N will continue to gain, said a PPP leader who did not want to be named. Lt Gen (retired) Talat Masood,a leading security analyst,however,said Zardaris first year in office had also witnessed progress in some fields. Pakistan can call itself a democracy despite having a weak constitutional set-up. There is a transition to democracy though there hasnt been a transformation, Masood told PTI. Zardari has also gone out of his way to improve relations with India and Afghanistan,which have been strained in the recent past,Masood said. The Presidents efforts to make the people realise that the Taliban are the real enemy had helped the military to launch operations against militants,he said. Though Zardari had political legitimacy,he has made no efforts to improve his problems of credibility,Masood Added. PPP leaders in Zardaris camp have mounted a spirited campaign in his defence,with several federal ministers sponsoring advertisements in national dailies to mark the completion of his first year in office. Farahnaz Ispahani,a media advisor to the President,said it was important for the presidency to be occupied by someone who has struggled for democracy and suffered at the hands of the forces of dictatorship till constitutional balance is restored. With President Zardari in charge,there is no likelihood of presidential powers being used to derail or weaken the democratic process,¿ she said. Zardari remained steadfast about strengthening democracy and has been fully supported by Prime Minister Gilani and the professional civil and military officials,Ispahani said.
