In his statement before the media after meeting Nawaz, Obama said that the US considers Pakistan to be a very

important strategic partner b t in the same breath he spoke pointed!y of mis nderstandings and tensions between the two co ntries" #rom what is known abo t Nawaz$s meetings with US officia!s, it can be said that the US side was % ite candid in raising its many concerns with him" Under!ying these differences is the !ack of a common strategic vision and goa!s for the wider region, which &ashington shares increasing!y with 'e!hi and which makes them partners in the tr e sense" In his p b!ic remarks, Obama to ched on!y ob!i% e!y on the % estion of drone strikes, saying that in partnering together to fight terrorism the two co ntries needed to contin e to find constr ctive ways that respect Pakistan$s sovereignty as we!! as the concerns of both co ntries" US officia!s have since indicated that US was sti!! committed to the po!icy Obama anno nced in a speech !ast (ay in which he defended the drone programme as being in comp!iance with both US and internationa! !aw b t !aid o t certain fresh g ide!ines for their se" Under this approach, drone attacks wo !d be carried o t on!y on terrorists who pose a contin ing and imminent threat to the )merican peop!e and when there is near* certainty that no civi!ians wi!! be ki!!ed or in+ red" Nawaz has given a more optimistic assessment on the drone iss e" ,e to!d reporters !ast -h rsday that the drone iss e wo !d hopef !!y soon be reso!ved according to the wishes of the Pakistani peop!e" -he e.pectation is that the fre% ency of drone strikes wi!! be f rther sca!ed down" -he ma+or positive o tcome of the visit for Pakistan was that Obama acknow!edged Pakistan$s interests and concerns in the transition in )fghanistan" /esides making a p!edge to brief Pakistan as this process moves forward and on a !ong*term strategy for stabi!ity in the region, he a!so e.pressed confidence in being ab!e to achieve a goa! that is good for )fghanistan b t a!so he!ps to protect Pakistan" Some US officia!s have in the past admitted gr dging!y that India is sing )fghan soi! to stir p tro b!e in Pakistan" US )fPak envoy 'obbins, for instance, said in an interview with the //0 !ast ) g st that Pakistan$s concerns over India$s presence in )fghanistan were not gro nd!ess, tho gh they were e.aggerated" &e recognise, 'obbins said, that there is some infi!tration of hosti!e mi!itants from 1)fghanistan into Pakistan2""" / t Obama$s comments on seeking an o tcome in )fghanistan that protects Pakistan are perhaps the first p b!ic admission, howsoever indirect, by a US president that Pakistan faces a threat emanating from )fghan soi! that it needs to g ard against"

-he positive tone of Obama$s remarks on Pakistan$s stakes in the peace and stabi!ity of )fghanistan and the absence of any p b!ic name*ca!!ing by US officia!s d ring Nawaz$s visit on safe havens in Pakistan for the )fghan -a!iban is in we!come contrast to their past behavio r" It wo !d not have been possib!e witho t o r s pport to the )fghan reconci!iation and peace process that &ashington has been trying to p t in p!ace for more than a year" On Pakistan*India re!ations, Obama f !fi!!ed the promise he made to (anmohan !ast month by taking p the % estions of the tria! of those imp!icated in the ( mbai terrorist attack, the activities of 3amaat* d*'awah and the case of ,afiz Saeed" In his statement after the meeting, the US president a!so spoke abo t the e.port of terrorism from Pakistan to other co ntries" In response, Nawaz to!d Obama that the iss e of terrorism is of as m ch concern to Pakistan as to India if not more" ,e co !d a!so have reminded the US president that the tria! in India of the perpetrators of the Sam+ha ta 4.press bombing, which took p!ace 56 months before ( mbai, has been proceeding at a s spicio s!y !eis re!y pace and has a!so not been conc! ded as yet, even tho gh the crime was committed in India and a!! the witnesses are within the co ntry" Obama was f !! of praise for Nawaz$s commitment to red ce tensions with India, describing it as a very wise path and in this conte.t mentioned the Pakistan prime minister$s meeting with his Indian co nterpart !ast month" -he main tangib!e achievement of that meeting was an agreement to restore peace and tran% i!!ity on the 7o0" / t since then, there have been fresh incidents of 7o0 vio!ation" Nawaz asked the US to se its inf! ence to enco rage Pakistan*India dia!og e to reso!ve o tstanding iss es and on 7o0 vio!ations" &ashington predictab!y reaffirmed its position that whi!e it is prepared to se its inf! ence to enco rage improvement in Pakistan*India re!ations, it wi!! not p!ay a direct ro!e" ) day before Nawaz$s visit, the Obama government a!so reaffirmed its stance on 8ashmir, saying that it is for Pakistan and India to determine the pace, scope and character of their dia!og e on the iss e" Neverthe!ess, Nawaz did we!! to bring p 8ashmir in his meeting with Obama" ,is ca!! for a US ro!e in reso!ving the disp te is, however, another matter" 7ike his obsession with picking p the threads of dia!og e with India from where he !eft off in 5666, Nawaz$s repeated appea!s for a US ro!e in sett!ing the 8ashmir iss e is a hangover from his !ast term of office" Not on!y is &ashington now comp!ete!y dismissive of the idea, any US invo!vement, in the high!y n!ike!y event that it takes p!ace, is !ike!y to go in India$s favo r" Nawaz sho !d, therefore, stop harping on this proposa! and instead spend his efforts and those of his government on raising the iss e of the right of se!f*determination and other h man rights of the 8ashmiris in internationa! fora, as Pakistan sed to do ti!! 9::;"

In his remarks after the meeting with Obama, Nawaz said that the two !eaders had disc ssed a common vision to b i!d rob st bi!atera! cooperation" ,e a!so spoke of Pakistan$s desire for a broad*based, stab!e and end ring partnership" Nawaz$s visit shows how far we sti!! are from that goa!" / t it served to remove some of the mistr st between the two sides on ways of bringing peace and stabi!ity to )fghanistan" -his sho !d he!p smooth the ongoing transition in )fghanistan, a matter of vita! interest to Pakistan" #orging a common vision for the post*9:5; period wi!! be an even more diffic !t task and may be !eft for the f t re" -he writer is a former member of the Pakistan #oreign Service" 4mai!< asifezdi=yahoo"com