before yesterday's inauguration signifies the importance that Obama attaches to the Afghan conflict. From the support that has Obama received from people within and outside America is an endorsement of his promise of bringing a change. One can thus hope that he will not follow the belligerent policies of his predecessor but will opt for a change to resolve the issue through peaceful means.
It would be in the interest of Pakistan for our president to take advantage of the changes in Washington at the top level. He should seize this opportunity to persuade Obama that the war against terror cannot be won by force. If force alone could solve problems, the seven years of war in Afghanistan would have achieved that objective. Returning violence for violence multiplies violence in Afghanistan and the Federally Administered Tribal areas in Pakistan. Use of force should be avoided. Efforts should be made to divert the energies wasted on war to finding peaceful solutions to the conflicts around us.
The statements of Barack Obama and Asif Ali Zardari are indicative of their intentions to work towards a positive change. During the election campaign Obama criticised Bush for supporting an individual in Pakistan, Musharraf, instead of democracy, while Zardari said it time and again that the unilateral policies of the dictator were harmful for Pakistan. Now that both leaders are in a position from where they can steer their countries out of this quagmire they should not hesitate to do so. That would not only win the hearts and minds of the people but will help restore the image of both Pakistan and America as peace-loving countries.
The US has serious reservations about Pakistan's soil being used for terrorist activities against other countries. The Mumbai incident has further aggravated this situation. The often repeated stance of our president and prime minister that no one will be allowed to use Pakistan's soil for terrorist attacks has lost its impact. It is hardly being taken seriously by any one in view of the drone attacks in FATA. They have to work seriously and have failed to remove apprehensions expressed by the Americans and others because we have not matched words with deeds.
The best way to do so is to implement the resolution adopted unanimously by the Parliament on Oct 22 for which a committee has already been constituted. It will also make our case stronger before the new president of the United States to agree to resolve the problem through peaceful means.
Delay in implementation has already cost us a lot; backtracking now will have disastrous effects for the country. We have not been able to stop the drone attacks so far. Will we be able to stop military assaults if they are launched in FATA, especially after the deployment of fresh American troops in Afghanistan?
President Zardari can save us from further humiliation only if he stands solidly with the nation by implementing the 14 points of the resolution, which has all the necessary ingredients for bringing peace to the region.
The writer is a former diplomat hailing from South Waziristan, Email: wazirukhotmail.com