From a BBC interview with the likely next president of Pakistan:

Asif Ali Zardari said, in a BBC interview, that the world and Pakistan were losing the war on terror.

"It is an insurgency", he said, "and an ideological war. It is our country and we will defend it.

"The world is losing the war. I think at the moment they (the Taleban) definitely have the upper hand.

"The issue, which is not just a bad case scenario as far as Pakistan is concerned or as Afghanistan is concerned but it is going to be spreading further. The whole world is going to be affected by it."

Also see this Aug. 21 BBC story: Spiral of violence threatens Pakistan.

This guest BBC column by high-profile Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid is also worth a read: Pakistan's new stage of struggle.