Pakistan has been advised to end its protests against US missile strikes on its soil and to instead seek concessions from Washington.
Islamabad has been advised not to wait for change in US policies on missile strikes on its soil and to seek concessions from Washington.
Former interior minister and retired lieutenant general Hamid Nawaz said Pakistan should take serious measures in light of the clear violation of national sovereignty.
“They (the US) are very serious as far as terrorism is concerned. The new US administration is deploying additional troops in Afghanistan and when General David Petraeus was here, he was concerned about the supply route (to the troops),” Nawaz was quoted by AFP as saying.
The US is suspected of carrying out numerous missile strikes in rural Pakistani areas near the Afghanistan border, where militants are said to be taking shelter.
Barack Obama’s election as the president of the United States raised speculation that Washington may change its policy of staging missile strikes in volatile tribal regions in Pakistan.
Since Obama took office, however, such attacks have continued to inflict civilian casualties in Pakistan.
Considered by Pakistan as a violation of its sovereignty, the first US wave of missile attacks under Obama hit the country on Friday in the northwest tribal belt.
Officials put the death toll at 21, including three children.
Nawaz said this is the time for Pakistan to take decisions in the national interest. “There is no use in protesting to the United States. We will have to take action.”
The former minister floated the idea that by confronting the Obama White House, Islamabad may acquire more help from Washington “in terms of giving more aid, offering more trade opportunities, relaxing pressure on the nuclear program” or helping Pakistan improve relations with India.
Ishtiaq Ahmed, an international relations professor at Islamabad’s Quaid-i-Azam University, expressed support for Nawaz’s ideas.
“There might be an understanding at some levels between the two sides about the US drone attacks in Pakistani tribal areas,” he said.
“Protests by Pakistan over missile strikes are basically meant for domestic public consumption, otherwise it is not possible that we keep on protesting and they keep on doing it.”
vienna,08-02-2009:
i want to thank you for reconnecting me to my late friend khalid hasan.
he wrote to me a few months ago promising he would visit me in vienna.
now it is for me to visit him at “uperwale”.two days ago i put out my
blog remembering him here in vienna as a friend.all the best to you sir.