Memogate; Zardari Under Pressure.

Pakistan never fails to surprise with some new developments. The latest to surface is  the 'Memogate' scandal where a secret memo was delivered by the Pakistan ambassador to the US Mr. Haqqani througha Pakistan business man to Mike Mullen the US Chief of staff, asking for help to stave of a possible coup by the Army led by General Kayani.

 Mike Mullen after first denying the existence of the memo, later admitted it was there. Obviously the Pakistan army was incensed and the Army chief exerted his muscle and called for the removal of the Pakistan ambassador to the US. Haqqani was called and asked to resign almost at gunpoint. At the same time rumors are afloat as to who is the real culprit behind the memo. One thing is obvious that the secret memeo was not the handiwork ofthe Pakistan ambassador alone, but someone higher up in the corriders of power.

There are also rumors that the brain behind this entire episode was the Pakistan President Asif Zardari. The Pak army is calling for a judicial investigation as it feels its reputation is greatly tarnished, while the government is getting the matter investigated by a senate committee and feels thata judicial investigation is uncalled for.

The fat is thus in the fire and Zardari is feeling the heat. General Kayani would like nothing better than to seize power on this ground, but the world has changed and dictators are a liability and the US may not play ball. This perhaps is deterring Kayani from seizing power.

Zardari has gone ot to  Dubai at this juncture to get himself treated from a heart ailment and is under tremendous pressure to resign from the army. Hisgoing to Dubai itself has raised eyebrows as the ailment could have been treated in Pakistan itself. The futureis sticky and it will be intersting to see how things take shape in the days to come.