An 80-page scheme proposed last month would vest authority in four tiers of government below the provincial level, with some seats reserved for women and lots of mechanisms to make representatives and bureaucrats answerable to ordinary people.

ECONOMIST: The general dictates the tune to which Pakistan will dance

In the past few months, at provincial-level congresses across the country, delegates have vetoed government appointees in favour of their own candidates.

ECONOMIST: China

Additionally, the U.S. has focused its diplomacy so far on officials at the federal level, and efforts to establish strong and regular lines of communication with provincial government officials are in their infancy.

CNN: Obama faces test on Afghanistan, Pakistan