Nawaz has given a more optimistic assessment on the drone issue.

He told reporters last Thursday that the drone issue would hopefully soon be resolved according to the wishes of the Pakistani people. The e pectation is that the fre!uency of drone strikes will be further scaled down. The ma"or positive outcome of the visit for Pakistan was that #bama acknowledged Pakistan$s interests and concerns in the transition in %fghanistan. &esides making a pledge to brief Pakistan as this process moves forward and on a long'term strategy for stability in the region( he also e pressed confidence in being able to achieve a goal that is good for %fghanistan but also helps to protect Pakistan. )ome *) officials have in the past admitted grudgingly that +ndia is using %fghan soil to stir up trouble in Pakistan. *) %fPak envoy ,obbins( for instance( said in an interview with the &&- last %ugust that Pakistan$s concerns over +ndia$s presence in %fghanistan were not groundless( though they were e aggerated. .e recognise( ,obbins said( that there is some infiltration of hostile militants from /%fghanistan into Pakistan0... &ut #bama$s comments on seeking an outcome in %fghanistan that protects Pakistan are perhaps the first public admission( howsoever indirect( by a *) president that Pakistan faces a threat emanating from %fghan soil that it needs to guard against. The positive tone of #bama$s remarks on Pakistan$s stakes in the peace and stability of %fghanistan and the absence of any public name'calling by *) officials during Nawaz$s visit on safe havens in Pakistan for the %fghan Taliban is in welcome contrast to their past behaviour. +t would not have been possible without our support to the %fghan reconciliation and peace process that .ashington has been trying to put in place for more than a year. #n Pakistan'+ndia relations( #bama fulfilled the promise he made to 1anmohan last month by taking up the !uestions of the trial of those implicated in the 1umbai terrorist attack( the activities of 2amaat'ud',awah and the case of Hafiz )aeed. +n his statement after the meeting( the *) president also spoke about the e port of terrorism from Pakistan to other countries. +n response( Nawaz told #bama that the issue of terrorism is of as much concern to Pakistan as to +ndia if not more. He could also have reminded the *) president that the

trial in +ndia of the perpetrators of the )am"hauta 3 press bombing( which took place 45 months before 1umbai( has been proceeding at a suspiciously leisurely pace and has also not been concluded as yet( even though the crime was committed in +ndia and all the witnesses are within the country. #bama was full of praise for Nawaz$s commitment to reduce tensions with +ndia( describing it as a very wise path and in this conte t mentioned the Pakistan prime minister$s meeting with his +ndian counterpart last month. The main tangible achievement of that meeting was an agreement to restore peace and tran!uillity on the 6o-. &ut since then( there have been fresh incidents of 6o- violation. Nawaz asked the *) to use its influence to encourage Pakistan'+ndia dialogue to resolve outstanding issues and on 6o- violations. .ashington predictably reaffirmed its position that while it is prepared to use its influence to encourage improvement in Pakistan'+ndia relations( it will not play a direct role. % day before Nawaz$s visit( the #bama government also reaffirmed its stance on 7ashmir( saying that it is for Pakistan and +ndia to determine the pace( scope and character of their dialogue on the issue. Nevertheless( Nawaz did well to bring up 7ashmir in his meeting with #bama. His call for a *) role in resolving the dispute is( however( another matter. 6ike his obsession with picking up the threads of dialogue with +ndia from where he left off in 4555( Nawaz$s repeated appeals for a *) role in settling the 7ashmir issue is a hangover from his last term of office. Not only is .ashington now completely dismissive of the idea( any *) involvement( in the highly unlikely event that it takes place( is likely to go in +ndia$s favour. Nawaz should( therefore( stop harping on this proposal and instead spend his efforts and those of his government on raising the issue of the right of self'determination and other human rights of the 7ashmiris in international fora( as Pakistan used to do till 899:. +n his remarks after the meeting with #bama( Nawaz said that the two leaders had discussed a common vision to build robust bilateral cooperation. He also spoke of Pakistan$s desire for a broad'based( stable and enduring partnership. Nawaz$s visit shows how far we still are from that goal. &ut it served to remove some of the mistrust between the two sides on ways of bringing peace and stability to %fghanistan. This should help smooth the ongoing transition in %fghanistan( a matter of vital interest to Pakistan. ;orging a common vision for the post'894: period will be an even more difficult task and may be left for the future. The writer is a former member of the Pakistan ;oreign )ervice. 3mail< asifezdi=yahoo.com