Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has a problem. The ability of the country's chief executive - who embarks on a visit to the US for a meeting with President George W. Bush next weekend - to rule Pakistan is increasingly in question.
For many of his critics, Gilani has so far failed to prove that he is indeed in charge of the country. His poor credentials indeed bear testimony to the tenuous state of Pakistani politics.
February's parliamentary elections brought a landslide victory for the parties opposed to President Pervez Musharraf. But there is much political discord in Pakistan today. Critics of Gilani and of the government warn that so far the new regime has put little focus on the most critical matters confronting the country.
On the one hand, there is much evidence of the disarray in the country. In sharp contrast to expectations in many circles that the new government, which is a ruling coalition, would move rapidly to make landmark political decisions, there is indeed much disappointment.
Musharraf, the pro-US ruler, who presided over Pakistan's unending turmoil, is still in power and in some ways has consolidated his position. The new government has failed to move forward to force Musharraf out of office.
The new government has also not moved ahead decisively to deal with the difficult challenge of pushing forward long-overdue constitutional reforms. This was widely expected to be the top priority for the government after elections were held. Similarly, the government's ability to make decisions regarding vital national issues, also remains in doubt.
Big concern
For instance, at a time when galloping inflation is a big concern, the new government has failed to even move half a step towards protecting the poorest of the poor among Pakistani consumers. The follow-up question becomes even more pertinent than before: exactly what must Gilani do for his hosts in the US to take him seriously as a representative of Pakistan?
At a time when relations between the US and Pakistan are beginning to sour over conditions in Afghanistan, this has indeed become an even more compelling question than before. The US has a list of complaints against Pakistan, ranging from Islamabad's involvement in the revival of Afghanistan's Taliban movement to the backing of individuals in Pakistan's tribal areas who are accused of providing training to rebels heading to Afghanistan.
Even if Pakistan rejects all such allegations - which the country's leaders have indeed done before - this alone does not solve Gilani's political dilemma. For the prime minister to appear credible, there must be a reconsideration of the ways in which politics is being conducted today in Pakistan.
At a time when an alarming rise in militancy is the country's most pressing challenge, the new government and the prime minister appear unable to come up with a solution.
For the US, it would be naive to rule out any relationship with elected politicians like Gilani. Given the many challenges faced by Pakistan, it is likely that elected politicians will remain central to the idea of at least trying to achieve a broad consensus on vital national issues. But for the US too, those politicians must include individuals who are capable of carrying public opinion in Pakistan along with them.
Going by recent reports, there is a good chance that Gilani's visit may coincide with a promise of new assistance from the US administration, such as a commitment to provide Pakistan with food aid. If so, this could help stabilise, at least to some extent, the spiralling food prices.
But such handouts in themselves are not necessarily the solution to Pakistan's ailments. Gilani's survival and that of his new government ultimately rests so much on the goodwill of a major power like the US but more on how well the new prime minister is able to overcome the challenges.
Farhan Bokhari is a Pakistan-based commentator who writes on political and economic matters.
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