U.S. News & World Report

The Benazir Bhutto visiting Washington this week is hardly the same Pakistani leader who a short time ago deferred to her generals and let them give the orders on how to end the interminable Afghanistan conflict. The young Prime Minister's recent firing of Hamid Gul, the Army intelligence chief acting as guru on Afghan policy, has served notice that she's taking charge.

Bhutto had long wanted to rid herself of the troublesome spymaster. His agency harassed her and her family after her father's execution and was in league with her political rivals. But Gul had powerful defenders in the high command and in the American CIA, which saw him as vital to the mujeheddins' war against the Communist regime in Kabul. When cocky Pakistani-backed rebels failed to capture Jalalabad, Gul turned from hero to scapegoat, however. His allies melted away, and Bhutto saw her chance and seized it.

By replacing Gul with a loyal former tank commander, Bhutto has tightened her squeeze on power and policymaking, particularly regarding Afghanistan. Look for a subtle shift of strategy. Fearful her country might be dragged into the Afghan quagmire and anxious to start repatriating the 3 million refugees clogging camps inside Pakistan, Bhutto will seek a nonmilitary solution to the conflict. As first steps, she is likely to urge Pakistan-based rebels and their interim government to reach an accommodation with guerrilla chiefs in Afghanistan and with mujeheddin leaders in Iran and perhaps explore talks with non-Communists in Kabul.

Getting the views of a sympathetic U.S. on what to do next is one of her main goals in Washington. It is not the only one. To reward cooperative generals, she would like to bring back a promissory note for 60 F-16 fighters. She also must allay U.S. concerns that Pakistan, despite denials, is intent on building a nuclear bomb.