WASHINGTON: Former President Asif Ali Zardari’s iftar-dinner with US Vice President Joe Biden, although a social event hosted by Pakistan’s former ambassador-at-large, Ray Mahmud, has generated a lot of interest and also political heat.

Both PPP and PML-N circles in the United States are claiming that Mr Zardari is here to solicit US support for the current political system in Pakistan.

But the host – Ray Mahmud who had played a key role in improving ties between the Bush administration and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto -- insists that the iftar-dinner is a social event with no political undertones.

Zardari to have Iftar with US vice president

The host also hints that media reports have alarmed the Americans and may force Mr Biden to reconsider his participation.

PPP and PML-N circles in Washington, however, say that Mr Zardari has met and will meet several senior US officials, telling them that “they should ensure the continuation of the current political system in Pakistan.”

They point out that recent reports in the Pakistani media suggest that at least some people in Pakistan are talking about “a government of national unity.” One report even published a list of the people who may be included in such a government.

“Mr Zardari believes that although the current government has many drawbacks, it’s a legally elected government and should complete its tenure,” said a PPP source. “There should be no government change before the election.”

A former diplomat with links to the PPP and the US administration, however, insists that this is a private visit and Mr Zardari has not come to Washington with any political agenda.

While it is difficult to ascertain the real motives of the visit, because Mr Zardari has, as always, maintained a safe distance from the media, it’s equally difficult to stop the wild speculations the visit has generated.

But the visit has already set a positive tradition, providing full diplomatic protocol to a former president. Both US and Pakistani political circles in Washington say that the PML-N government’s decision to send Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani to the airport to receive Mr Zardari does show a new maturity in Pakistan’s political culture.

While announcing the government’s decision, Prime Minister’s Special Adviser for Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi reminded reporters that Mr Zardari was a former president and he deserved this protocol.

He said the government had decided to end political witch-hunt and follow the international norm, which demands full diplomatic protocol for former presidents and prime ministers.

PPP circles say that it’s the PPP government which set this precedent.

While in power, the party ensured that whenever a former prime minister or president visited a foreign capital he was received by the Pakistani ambassador posted there.

They say that former military ruler Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Shaukat Aziz were received by Pakistani ambassadors when they visited Washington or London.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd , 2014