ISLAMABAD - In a bid to bring a shift in current American policy for Pakistan, Islamabad has decided to activate its diplomatic channels to reach out to newly elected US President Barack Obama even before his taking oath of the office in January 2009. "Pakistan Embassy in Washington and other diplomatic missions will be given the task to contact the President-elect Obama's close aides and those whose names are being finalized for the future US administration," said a senior official here on Thursday requesting not to be named. He said the purpose of the whole exercise would be to persuade the new American administration to review the current US policy for Pakistan. "What we want from the Obama administration is to focus on economic development of Pakistan, which is confronting the worst economic crisis of its history, and to bring halt to air strikes on the restive tribal regions," the official said. While on campaign, Obama also said he would authorize strikes against militant targets in Pakistan if the Pakistan Government failed or was unable to act itself. Those words by the newly elected US President created stir in Pakistan, both in the ruling circles as well as common Pakistani people. The official here said that Pakistan wanted the new US administration to realize that the use of brute force alone would lead to more enemies and also widen the zone of conflict. He said that the new American Government should move towards the settlement of security issues on both sides of Afghan border through dialogue. "They (Americans) do support the talks with the Taliban having moderate views but at the same time, force is being used in border regions including Pakistan's tribal areas that causes collateral damage as well and adds to the rising anti-American sentiments there," the official said. He said that Islamabad wanted to redefine the terms of engagement with the United States and wanted that its importance should not be confined to the war against terrorism. Another Pakistani official when contacted said on condition of not to be named that  Islamabad's ruling quarters hoped that the Vice President-elect Joe Biden, who had proposed a massive aid bill for Pakistan, would play a crucial role in future Pak-US relations and help strengthen the ties between the two important allies in global war on terror. Agencies add: Pakistan said on Thursday that it would remain engaged with the new US administration as Barack Obama won the presidential election on Tuesday. "We look forward to working closely with the new Administration and further strengthening the relationship between Pakistan and the United States as two democratic allies and partners," said a Foreign Ministry statement. "We would remain engaged in expanding cooperation for a stable, long-term and broad-based, strategic relationship serving the interests of the region and the world at large," it said.