When Yusuf Raza Gilani meets George W. Bush in the Oval Office on Monday, he hopes to receive support for his fragile government. But the new Pakistani prime minister will also face demands from the US president on counter-terrorism.

Mr Gilani wants assurances that Washington will provide his Pakistan Peoples party, the dominant party in the ruling coalition, with the sort of backing it gave the previous regime of Pervez Musharraf, the former general and current president.