ISLAMABAD - Figuring out the drones during the meeting between two top Pakistan, US ruling leaders may well have been rated on a hyped note, the event seems to hold more of a symbolic worth than having any practical significance in actuality.
Between the lines, the tone and tenor of the much-acclaimed meet-up between United States President Barack Obama and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif remains suggestive of the long-established contention, the covert surgical strikes aimed at taking out the high-valued terrorists in Pakistan’s north-western belt are to stay, at least for now.
By and large, the strategic thinkers shared a generality in their views to establish that the government’s renewed opposition to drones makes an overrated phenomenon that skips bringing into debate the Washington’s justification of carrying on with the predators campaign.
Controversies apart, the elimination of top Al Qaeda and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commanders coupled with deep-rooted mistrust between the security establishments of the two strategic allies has much to do with the US policy to go ahead with the drones.
“Pressure will eventually revert to Pakistan,” noted lawyer on international law and strategic analyst Ahmer Bilal Sufi told The Nation.
“This will have adverse long-term consequences for Pakistan,” he referred to the recent hype created by the Pakistani government against drone strikes.
Sufi, also a former law minister, said that the drones debate at the international level would raise the question as to why these attacks were taking place in the tribal areas. “The American narrative is very clear: Pakistan does not have any territorial control over its north-western belt which has become a terrorists safe haven.”
The expert believed that the drone strikes issue might turn into the debate about military intervention in Pakistan. “The high-sounding statements against drone attacks may earn some political mileage for the ruling brass but they’ll have negative repercussions. At global level, this might lead to the discussion on the possibility of a direct intervention in Pakistan. Other countries may join the US in pressuring Pakistan to take decisive action (against the miscreants). “
Ahmer Bilal Sufi said Pakistan needs to strengthen its criminal justice system, forge a stronger political will and improve military capability to take on the menace of terrorism.
“Otherwise, the rest of the world will also jump into the fray to point fingers at us. We simply cannot afford to take the anti-drone hype to an extraordinarily level because if this discussion keeps unfolding, our stance that drones violate territorial sovereignty will keep losing its ground and world would no longer subscribe to our views.” 
Former foreign secretary Tanvir Ahmad Khan did not think differently. “Tall rhetoric apart, diplomacy is all about practicalities. And in practical terms, we haven’t been able to convince the world the drone strikes are not working against the terrorists, because they are. And we haven’t taken effective measures to establish that these strikes cause collateral damage or target innocent civilians.”
While the government functionaries at the centre sound overly generous in praising the premier for being the first head of government to have taken up the drones issue with the US president, Tanvir Khan sees this development as more of a symbolic and  ‘style over substance’ thing.
“Does this even guarantee there would be no drone attacks in future? The world has a very strong view about terrorism emanating from FATA. Towering speeches, media briefings and condemnations (against drone strikes) are not going to change it. Words need to be translated into actions,” Khan said while recalling that top militant commanders including Baitullah Mehsud, Qari Wali-ur-Rehman, Qari Hussain and several others were all taken out in drone strikes.
Former interior minister Lieutenant General (r) Moinuddin Haider said, the discussion between Pakistan’s PM and the US president on the drones issue had nothing more than a ceremonial impact.
“The government may have reasons to take credit for taking up this issue with the White House but at the end of the day it’s all about political will that is required to deal with terrorism with an iron fist and to make economic progress. Only then can we see in the eyes of the world telling it to respect our territorial integrity. Or else, we’ll have to bear with drones and stay content with ceremonial meetings and polite requests against these attacks.”
Dr Hassan Askari Rizvi pointed to Washington’s non-committal disposition on drone attacks. “It doesn’t matter that the PM raised the issue with the American president when there were no guarantees and commitments from the latter to consider Pakistan’s opposition to drones. I don’t think the US is going to make any changes in its drones policy.”
The predator strikes have already slowed down but they would continue till next year, the analyst said. “The allied forces are scheduled to pull out from Afghanistan next year. If that happens, Washington’s policy on drones may see a change. Till then, these attacks would continue the way they are.”