PRESIDENT Pervez Musharraf’s eight-day tour of key European capitals appears to have produced mixed results. The Pakistani leader certainly grabbed the attention of European and foreign media with his criticism of the West’s ‘obsession’ with democracy and his assertion that Al Qaeda was ‘on the run’ in Pakistan.

But even as they reported on his comments, most European and American journalists were sceptical — to say the least — of the president’s declarations. More crucially, Mr Musharraf appears to have failed in achieving the main aim of his European tour: convincing European Union politicians and business leaders that he’s still the right man in the right place at the right time.

If anything, the visit appears to have raised even more questions about the uncertain future of both the man and the country. European Union and Nato policymakers remain worried about the spreading insurgency in Pakistan, the army’s failure to curb militancy and fight terrorism and post-elections politics in the country.

On the plus side, throughout his tour, the president proved that while he may have become one of the world’s most controversial leaders, unlike other strongmen who shun public exposure, he still has a surprising desire to “engage” his critics in conversation and that, whatever the occasion and whoever the interlocutor, he can certainly talk the talk.

In fact, Mr Musharraf’s visit was a talk marathon. In Brussels, where he kicked off his tour, the president held a series of meetings with international reporters, think-tanks, Belgian, Nato and EU policymakers as well as European parliamentarians where he fielded tough questions on Pakistan’s upcoming elections, curbs on media freedom and his failure to rein in religious militants.

While his performance was well-rehearsed, smooth and seamless, it was clear that the encounter with reporters and later with equally critical European parliamentarians was a difficult one. The president frequently wiped his face with a handkerchief and, at one point, said ruefully: “The temperature is rather warm…or is it just that I am talking?”

The real difficulty facing Mr Musharraf in Brussels and elsewhere is that as an ex-general — albeit now clad in expensive designer suits — the Pakistani president has never enjoyed much political and public sympathy or support. Although many may still believe he is an indispensable ally in the so-called ‘war on terror’, the crackdown on pro-democracy activists and judges last year and, especially, the imposition of emergency rule in November, has badly damaged his democratic credentials.

Second, while he may be a shrewd military man-turned-politician with great PR skills, smooth talk and spin alone cannot clean up either the president’s international image or Pakistan’s global standing. Clearly, the tragic murder of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto last December has further tarnished Mr Musharraf’s reputation abroad. The visit also appears to have done little to allay EU and Nato concerns about Pakistan’s uncertain political future — including growing worries about what will happen after next month’s elections.

Third, while Mr Musharraf had certainly done his homework and endlessly repeated his message on elections, his commitment to fight terrorism and the safety of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, sometimes the rhetoric got confused and confusing.

Next month’s parliamentary polls would be free, fair and peaceful, vowed Mr Musharraf. “I am an army man who believes very strongly in democracy and human rights,” he insisted. However, in the next breath — and totally unprompted — he demanded that western governments and the media stop their “obsession” with promoting democracy in the country and give Pakistan more time to achieve “the values you have established for yourself”.

As one reporter pointed out afterwards, however, the president seemed to forget that it is not the West but Pakistani human rights activists, lawyers and reporters who are spearheading calls for good governance and the rule of law — and have faced stints in prison for making such demands.

The explanation for his European visit produced a similarly contradictory effect. The reason for his tour, Mr Musharraf said, was to remove ‘misunderstandings and misperceptions’ about the situation in Pakistan. However, he then proceeded to paint a bleak picture of a country where citizens were ‘despondent and demoralised’, where religious extremism was on the rise and political life was plagued by ‘feudals and tribals’. Making the picture darker still, the president said he feared the ‘Talibanisation of our society’. So much for correcting distortions.

The message became even more complicated at the European Parliament. Pakistan was not a failed state or a “banana republic with a tradition of killing opponents”, the president insisted in a heated question and answer session. And he was not ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ but the same man who enjoyed world support as an ally against terror after Sept 11, 2001. He also rejected as ‘trash’ suspicions that the government or security services had a hand in Benazir Bhutto’s murder.

Even more stridently, the president challenged an assertion by the International Federation of Journalists that he has restricted freedom of the press. Some 95 per cent of articles in the Pakistani press are critical of the government, he said, adding to the amazement of all: “Our media is much more independent in reporting — the print media and the electronic media — than in the West.”

Insults against critics were part of the message. Former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry was denounced as ‘inept and corrupt’ while retired generals who said that they no longer had confidence in him — remarks that fuelled western speculation that the president is losing the support of the army — were described as ‘insignificant personalities’. Human rights activist Asma Jahangir also got short shrift.

The president’s eight-day talkathon may prove useful, however, if he takes to heart some of the key messages delivered by EU and Nato policymakers: the elections must not be rigged, he must act to restore the independence of the judiciary and lift all restrictions on the media. Equally significantly, that the focus must be on building strong Pakistani institutions and that, in addition to military action, the fight against extremism must also focus on promoting development and fighting poverty.

The writer is Dawn’s correspondent in Brussels.