LAHORE - Given the developing picture at the international level, Pakistan badly needs to formulate an independent foreign policy keeping in view its larger national interests. The current political disharmony needs to be prevented from becoming a turmoil as the present situation in the country is already not satisfied and any further complications may harm vital interests at the international level, said former law minister and intellectual SM Masood while talking to this scribe. Giving his opinion about the Obama administration vis-a-vis its relationship with Pakistan, Masood said Pakistan must not pin high hopes in America even after the change of guard for the reason, it was hard for the new US government to deviate from the already operational policies towards this country. This may be assessed from the fact that Obama has retained the same defence secretary. In Masood's view, Pakistan needs to act more consciously and carefully also for the reason Pentagon still dominated the Obama administration and it cautions Pakistan against expecting an extraordinary concession from the US govt at subordinate position. He said at present the core policy matters were in the hand of American conservatives who would not let Pakistan get free from the clutches. Masood with regard to the international picture painted by the US, Israel and India's added interests in the region, referred to the recent past Georgia and Ossetia conflicts respectively backed by Russia and America and said, the battle to control Central Asian and Asian resources is going to be heated up in the time to come. He said the rival forces of China and Russia would not let them go beyond a certain limit as such the most likely arena of American and others activity is going to be Afghanistan and it all has to directly effect Pakistan. He said the likelihood cannot be ruled out that anti-China and Russia forces would like to exploit Taliban power against these two powers, thus the emerging situation requires of Pakistan to be sagacious and circumspect about the regional developments. In his view China has been a time tested friend of Pakistan and the present government also indicted to go an extra mile to further cement its ties with China which indeed is a very good sign and an adumbrative of its future policy. He said for being geo-strategically located at an ideal position, Pakistan must frame its own policies independent of the foreign agencies keeping in view its significance in the international game. For that end, he said, it has to get itself out of the IMF and the influence of other states for which, he added, the country requires a political atmosphere congenial to economic and social development. The ex-minister said the government resolving petty disputes with any delay must look at things in their wider and broader international prospective. In his view the power opposed to Pakistan would never let it go to frame its independent policies. He said Benazir Bhutto on coming to Pakistan evinced propensity to rid the country's policies of the foreign influence but she was cleared from the way. He believed that the government has moved the United Nations for the probe of her assassination feeling that foreign elements were involved in the same otherwise, there was no need to resort to the UN had there been any local elements involved in the incident. He said time is very crucial and the government needed to act wisely and discreetly without delay.