Islamabad, Nov 7, IRNA, Majority in Pakistan is happy on Bush’s departure; however, they do not expect any major change in US foreign policy after democrat Obama’s victory.
They say that change of leadership in the US would be meaningless if it continues to pressurize Pak government and does not withdraw forces from Afghanistan and Iraq.
Pakistani public urges Obama to learn from the mistakes of Bush administration in dealing with the Muslims.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani have congratulated the US President-elect Barack Obama on his victory and expressed hope that America would continue to be a source of global peace and new ideas for humanity.
The President in his message also said that the American public has voted for a change in US policies.
Chief of Pakistan Muslim League (N), Mian Nawaz Sharif congratulating Obama over his victory expressing hope that the new US administration will help Pakistan bring stability to the country’s institutions.
It is said that major difference from Republican foreign policy is therefore likely to be in presentation rather than substance.
Pakistani experts say yet that the election of Obama to head the White House has a great significance not only for Yankees but for whole the world.
They add that Obama administration may decrease US presence in the world, although it might take quite some time to do so.
They also note that the Jew factor would also play a role in Obama’s future line of action as his three leading advisors for the Middle East belong to Jewish community.
Pakistanis also appear to be happy with Obama’s proposal that he would consider appointing the former President Bill Clinton as special envoy in Kashmir .
Analyst Lt Gen (R) Talat Masood welcoming Obama’s proposal said that it would be very good if the US acts as a facilitator and also in the process provides India to move forward on the issue of Kashmir.
He said that democrats have realized how mportant relations between Pakistan and India are in the fight against terrorism.
However, Dr Shirin Mazari says that appointment of Bill Clinton for Kashmir is the same as appointing Tony Blair for the Middle East.
She said that both are biased in their views and their track record is not very reassuring.
Dr. Rashid Ahmad Khan, senior research fellow at Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), has said that the US administration has realized that key to peace and stability in the South Asia is a dialogue process and that is why Obama vowed to play his role in solving the issues of the region.
Rashid hoped that the new US administration would work for normalizing the relations between Pakistan and India.
Sardar Ahsan a local journalist said that Republican Party has been favoring Pakistan and the country has got lots of benefits from the Republican administration in form of finical and military support, let us hope that Obama will not adopt the traditional behavior of Democratic Party towards Pakistan.
Americans have to stop bombardment on our tribal areas in which hundreds of innocent people have got killed, said a bus driver.
Nothing will change after the elections, the US will not wind up its war in Afghanistan and Pakistani tribal area, a worker said.