Americans, in general, are not interested in politics due to their busy lifestyle to be engaged in economic activities as it is their primary priority. It is more evident when other smaller countries of the world are concerned. But the government of the United States of America, by virtue of being number one power in the world, has to shoulder the unenviable responsibility of maintaining global peace and harmony. Consequently, it cannot ignore or overlook what happens in every nook and corner of the world. As south Asia is developing into a very important region in the world, it has started to attract greater attention of larger number of Americans and, indeed, of the American government. The never ending feud between the two bigger nations of south Asia—India and Pakistan—and the soaring ambition of the overwhelmingly poor giant—India--not only to dominate the region but to emerge as a regional super power also, are posing great threats to the peace and stability of the region. The Bush government’s nuclear deal with India has added fuel to the fire, and if successfully culminated is definite to upset the already lop-sided balance of power in the region with the greatest threat of embroiling the region in a nuclear conflagration with the dreadful possibility of a third world war. The aftermath of 9/11, the Iraq imbroglio, the burning civil wars in Afghanistan and the ever increasing threat of global terrorism, particularly endangering American lives where ever they may be, all had impelled the U.S. to buy the fullest cooperation of the Pakistani government and President Bush did not think twice. Despite the animosity of the majority of the Pakistani people towards the U.S. administration, the marriage of convenience between Bush and Musharraf could not last long, and now the Pakistani general is being made to face his uncertain future alone. China’s emergence as the possible challenger to the United States has brought the south Asian region into greater focus and Bush administration’s paradoxical policy of developing intimate relations with both the inimical nations has made the American people as well as the world sit up. Till recently the Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was being nourished and spoon-fed by the Bush regime as the most indispensable factor to fight global terrorism. But now, it seems, his indispensability has vanished into thin air. Alienating the para-military regime of Pakistan by such erroneous policies as well as engineering to cut down the Pakistani general’s authority, the Bush government could have added more venom to the Islamic terrorism. As far Pakistan is concerned, many knowledgeable Americans here think, Pakistanis are quite capable of looking after themselves. And they also are hopeful that Bush’s nuclear deal with India would, after all be aborted with the change of the regime in a few months. But, they do strongly believe that Pakistan can no more afford to give a blind eye to south Asian affairs and must play more prominent and effective role to maintain the equilibrium in the power balance in south Asia. They are looking up to the democratic government in Pakistan not to shirk their responsibility

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