Asif Ali Zardari may have been seen by Washington as the least-bad choice as president of Pakistan, but he assumed office this week amid severe doubts about his competence and the country’s future.

Zardari has faced a variety of corruption charges over the years. They remain unproven. But his reputation for self-dealing will undermine his credibility — not to mention his capacity to rein in Pakistan’s military establishment and the country’s main intelligence agency, suspected of conniving with Taliban militants in the rebellious northwest tribal areas.

The difficulty of the challenge was illustrated in July, when the then-ruling coalition directed that the spy agency, the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence, report to the Interior Ministry. Military leaders simply ordered that the directive be withdrawn.

Zardari has accused the agency of being behind the December assassination of his wife, Benazir Bhutto.

The United States and the government of Afghanistan have pressed Pakistan to deal with insurgents who use safe havens in Pakistan to regroup for attacks into Afghanistan.

In his inauguration ceremony this week, Zardari said he had a comprehensive plan for dealing with the problem and pledged to make terrorism his top priority.

Given the high stakes in Pakistan, Washington should keep up the pressure to make sure he follows through.