March 4, 2002	Monday	Zilhaj 19, 1422

THAT Pakistan-US relations stand restored for a long period of time to come augurs well for Pakistan’s external security environment in general and some specific internal security- related issues in particular.

All of these are pre-requisites for creating an enabling environment for economic growth and development. The US support will go a long way in helping Pakistan fight the menace of terrorism, extremism, and sectarianism that a core group in the current Pakistan government was keen on eliminating much before the September 11, 2001 tragedy.

The turn in world events in the fall of 2001 provided the necessary trigger point for accelerated action in the above direction. And, this action would no longer have the support of just one interior minister or just one president or just one government. Rather, the power of the fall 2001 incident would mobilize a whole world coalition against the issues that some in Pakistan had already recognized as such, although this recognition had to be kept low-key due to strong resisting forces. As a consequence of the September 11 event though, congruency of goals against terrorism would be promoted amongst the world’s powers that be.

Meaningfully, the goals of the world’s biggest power would also become congruent with those of a small core group in Pakistan government that would, in turn, help this core group sell the same to a wider cross-section of not only the government but also of the civil society. Having performed an effective selling job within and having marketed a progressive and a liberal image abroad in general and in the USA in particular, Pakistan is poised to make headway in the direction of anti-extremism within. The avowed goals must, however, be translated into effective action with positive perceptible outcomes in the foreseeable future. Since the general and special publics evaluate performance on an ongoing basis, credibility of a strategy must stand the test of public scrutiny through effective implementation and follow-up on planned and intended action.

Since the above anti-terrorism effort is likely to spread over the long haul, the warmth in the Pakistan-US relationship too is likely to continue for as long as there is a harmony in goals and strategy. These are not likely to diverge in the foreseeable future nor would the Pakistan-US relationship from the favourable direction it has currently taken.

However, it is the economic impact of this favourably developing the Pakistan-US relationship that needs an assessment independently of the one made by the financial wizards at the helm who appear all too sanguine about the latest economic developments. Since not all of them are trained economists, one tends to heavily discount both their evaluation of an intentions for the economy. The intentions cannot be doubted especially if we have a trained international banker instead of a trained economist heading the ministry of finance. He would, therefore, do best what he thinks he knows best