American presidential frontrunner Sen. Barrack Obama could not get it more right when he held the Bush government responsible for creating instability in Pakistan by supporting Musharraf, and pledged to strengthen the fledgling democracy by increasing non-military aid to Islamabad. There is no gainsaying the fact that the policy of the outgoing administration remained focused on reinforcing Pakistan's security apparatus to effectively combat terrorism in its tribal areas. Mr Obama, whose lead over his Republican rival John McCain appears to be narrowing slightly in the final weekend of campaigning, promised to help Pakistan provide concrete solutions to poverty and lack of education. The issue figured prominently on the foreign policy agenda that he unfolded in his interview to CNN on Friday. The comment comes after he faced scathing criticism of his threats to send US troops crossing into Pakistan from Afghanistan in hunt for top Al-Qaeda leaders 'if the Pakistanis were unwilling or unable' to track them down. But Sen. Obama could not get it more wrong when he says that the biggest threat to Pakistan right now is not India; it is actually militants within its own borders. There is no doubt that Pakistan has been the worst victim of the dual scourge of extremism and militancy, that gradually spilled over from the restive region into the settled areas across the country. A deadly spate of suicide bombings claimed thousands of lives in the last few years, the deadliest incident leading to Benazir Bhutto's assassination in Rawalpindi in December 2007. It will, however, be wrong to assume that India is no longer a threat has given up its designs towards Pakistan. Not just that; it has constantly been dragging its feet on accepting any timeframe for the resolution of the longstanding Kashmir issue, despite a large number of confidence building measures taken by Islamabad since the initiation of the composite dialogue. Its recent stoppage of the Chenab's waters to Pakistan clearly points to New Delhi's actual intentions. There have also been indications of Indian intelligence agencies stoking trouble in the tribal region. Sen. Obama would be well advised to review his assessment before trying to convince the Pakistani leadership to change its attitude towards its nuclear-armed rival and refocus its attention on militants operating on its soil. If elected to power, he should persuade India to allow peace to return to this region by settling the core dispute. Free from worries in the east, Islamabad could wholeheartedly devote its energies to eliminate militancy, which indeed has become a big menace.