A top American expert on South Asia, Dr Stephen Cohen has said that the current Pakistani government is the best to have emerged in the country in years as he expressed confidence in the nation's ability to successfully meet the current challenges with international support.
Dr Cohen, who has authored several books on Pakistan, India and the region, also urged Washington on extending major economic support to the country in this critical phase. "This is the best government (to have emerged) in Pakistan in a long time. The problems they face are enormous (no doubt), but I cannot demand a better group of people running the government," he said speaking on the ruling Pakistan People's Party's counter terrorism strategy at a Washington think tank.
"This is the government that has won the second free election in Pakistan's history, they have a stable government at the centre and stable governments in most of the provinces, this is an amazing accomplishment given I think how far was Pakistan a few months or a year ago," he stated. The United States, he said, played a role in degradation of the state of affairs in Pakistan by supporting dictators in the past, who were not effective.
Cohen criticised the US administration's support for former president Pervez Musharraf and termed seeing Pakistan through his eyes a mistake. He said, Musharraf "was a well-meaning, affable person when you met him, but I think he really was not up to the job, not the right person (to lead the country." "We were culpable to some extent in Pakistan's failure to return to democracy and prolonged Pakistan's agony unnecessarily."
He said the present top Pakistani leadership, particularly President Asif Ali Zardari has shown political skill in departure of Musharraf as well as in dealing with the United States. "I think the proper agenda for them (the current government) is security issues, the economic problems, education, here is where America can and should play a major supporting role".
He believed that military dimension is "a small but critical part of counterinsurgency and the United States, although we have not done particularly well in Iraq and Afghanistan but clearly have expertise, can help enhance Pakistan's ability to fight insurgency. Pakistan, he felt, needs a new strategy and referring to his recent visit to the country added they are willing to do better.
"Pakistan needs economic assistance - its government has popular support, (is) trying to be as effective as it can. I think at least a year is necessary before we form any judgements about how successful this government is," he said, urging patience with the government's efforts. Cohen referred to his book "The Idea of Pakistan" and in a rejection of negative scenarios painted by some experts, stressed that Pakistan has not failed comprehensively, although it has had setbacks in certain areas.
"I hope that things will be better - lets hope things turn out better," said Cohen, who is member of a bipartisan group of leading experts that recently crafted guidelines for the new American President's policy toward Pakistan, following November 4 US presidential elections.