Whatever the worth of his victory, Afghanistan’s neighbours and the world at large will have to deal once more with President Hamid Karzai whom the Afghan Election Commission declared victorious after his rival, Abdullah Abdullah, withdrew from the run-off vote scheduled for Saturday. The opposition did not accept the result of the Aug 20 presidential election, accusing Mr Karzai of massive fraud. His supporters say he received 54.6 per cent of the votes, though UN-backed observers put it at less than 50 per cent, which, according to their calculations, would mean that he represents the minority. Nevertheless, Mr Karzai cannot be wished away, president as he is of a country where 100,000 foreign troops have been locked in a ferocious battle with the Taliban.

Pakistan has had serious reservations about Mr Karzai’s policies. During his previous tenure, he failed to check the infiltration of terrorists from his country into Pakistan, his intelligence agencies are accused of supplying arms to Baloch insurgents and he has missed no opportunity to malign Pakistan. His regime is corrupt, donors hesitate to part with money pledged for Afghanistan’s reconstruction, and the drug trade has acquired such dimensions that a ‘criminalisation of the state’ is feared.

Nevertheless, it would be a mistake to think that Mr Karzai has no plus points. Since he is from the Pakhtun community, which is Afghanistan’s largest ethnic group, he is not in a weak position and can work a coalition. Someone like Mr Abdullah, who represents the minority Tajik community, cannot give Afghanistan stability, more so because the Pakhtuns dominate the Taliban force.

A great deal depends on what policy President Barack Obama finally adopts for the ‘AfPak’ region. Nevertheless, Washington has no choice but to carry the Karzai baggage along, win the ‘moderate’ Taliban over and take the war to a successful completion. The Obama administration’s hesitation over Gen Stanley McChrystal’s request for more troops is adding to the current confusion at a time when Hillary Clinton says the Taliban are gaining momentum. Any hurried retreat will strengthen the forces of extremism and have dangerous consequences for the region.