Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has been ranked as the 38th most powerful person in the world by Forbes magazine. This raises an obvious question: is Gilani even the most powerful person in Pakistan? A case could be made that President Asif Zardari, Chief of Army Staff Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani, Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, Nawaf Sharif or even Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud currently wield more influence in Pakistan.

Gilani has won some significant political victories as prime minister so it would be rash to exclude him from the debate. He played a prominent role, along with Kayani and the US, in convincing Zardari to restore the pre-November 5, 2007 Supreme Court justices. Gilani has also asserted his authority over appointments, most notably when he sacked Moin Aftab Shaikh, the chairman of Pakistan Steel and a Zardari ally, for corruption and insisted that only he had the power to appoint a replacement.

The very existence of this debate is unprecedented in Pakistani history. During periods of military rule, there has always been one undisputed, all-powerful leader. Our democratic interludes have involved plenty of political intrigue but, with the exception of  the early years of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s tenure, the army has always been able to checkmate the politicians.

A number of factors have contributed to the current political jostling. Musharraf’s decade in power led to a significant decline in the army’s image, to the point where it is now content to wield its still considerable influence more subtly. Then, the growing power of the private electronic media has been a new variable in the equation. So far, the campaigns championed by the media have resulted in strengthening the Supreme Court and the PML-N. Finally, Gilani’s power has increased as Zardari has alienated more and more Pakistanis. Fairly or not, Gilani is seen as a counterpoint to Zardari which has allowed him to oppose the president as the country turns against him.

Forbes may have overestimated the extent of Gilani’s power. But Pakistan’s political actors should not make the mistake of dismissing his influence altogether.