In an article published in The News (12 April 2009) Dr. Farrukh Saleem, a respected analyst who is the executive director of the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), reports of a remarkable dinner table conversation at the US ambassador’s residence in Islamabad:

“[US] Ambassador Holbrooke: ‘Should Mr Zardari be removed?’ Athar Minallah, leader of the lawyers’ movement and former spokesperson for the chief justice of Pakistan, ‘This democracy is the consequence of the lawyers’ movement. Any unconstitutional act will be resisted. The only route to remove President Zardari is impeachment.’ Holbrooke: ‘Should Mr Zardari be impeached?’ Minallah: ‘That’s for the democratic forces to decide.’ Sartaj Aziz: ‘We want powers back to Pakistan’s parliament…’ Minallah: ‘Nawaz Sharif played his cards right.’ Holbrooke: ‘I agree with you.’”

Reportedly, Richard Holbrooke was at the head of the table for six, and guests included Athar Minallah and Sartaj Aziz; Farrukh Saleem doesn’t say so explicitly but it can be inferred that Mike Mullen and Farahnaz Ispahani were also present.

Meanwhile the Telegraph of 25 April reports that in an interview with David Frost broadcast on “Frost Over the World” on al Jazeera on Friday 24 April 2009 at 8pm, Pervez Musharraf said that he would consider serving a second term as Pakistan’s president if he felt he could make a valuable contribution.

It would seem that the US is doing some contingency planning.

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