Asif Ali Zardari

In another indication of the gathering strength of the insurgency, Taliban militants have taken control of a district close to the Pakistani capital. For more on this story we turn to the BBC’s Jonathan Marcus.

The President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, and his counterpart from Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, met in the Turkish capital Ankara yesterday. They agreed to increase military cooperation against Islamist extremists. The BBC’s Rob Watson joins us now.

Can Pakistan be governed? To find out, James Traub interviewed the President of Pakistan, who was elected to office after the assassination of his wife Benazir Bhutto. He joins The Takeaway to discuss the results of that interview.

In Pakistan, lawyers and opposition activists launched a cross country protest to confront the civilian government which has banned rallies and detained hundreds of activists. Joining the Takeaway is Aamir Gauhri, a Pakistani analyst.

The widower of assassinated former Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto has taken office as the country’s new president this morning. He faces immediate pressure to crack down on Islamic militants and address daunting economic problems. Pakistan’s top judge swore in Asif Ali Zardari at a brief ceremony in the presidential palace.