The US should encourage Pakistan's talks with militants

Immediately after the February general elections, the Pakistani government launched peace talks with militants in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). On May 21, the Frontier government, led by the secular Awami National Party (ANP), signed a comprehensive peace deal with militants associated with the Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) in NWFP. The provincial government agreed to the imposition of Sharia in NWFP's Malakand division, while the local Taliban vowed to respect the writ of the state, hand foreign militants over to the government, and renounce militancy.  At the federal level, talks continue between the government and the TTP and have led to prisoner exchanges and the reorientation of army positions to facilitate the return of displaced people to the region.

While Pakistanis have welcomed the peace initiatives, Washington has expressed reservations. It is critical for the US to recognize that the priority of the Pakistani government should be to first bring peace and stability within its own borders. If the new leadership is seen to place the interests of the United States before its own, it will experience the same legitimacy problems President Pervez Musharraf faced. This will undermine Pakistan's democratic transition, creating instability in the country and the region.

If negotiations fail because of militant uprisings, Pakistanis will support the use of force knowing all other channels were exhausted. This will lead to greater public ownership of the fight against extremism, something the United States has called for.