All eyes are on the outcome of two crucial meetings that have taken place in Islamabad on Monday solely for the reason that they would have implication for our fragile security situation in the coming days. The first one was between Prime Minister Gilani and Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Thomas Nides in which fortunately our premier is reported to have told him in unambiguous terms that the use of force alone was no solution to the prevailing crisis rocking the country. It was clear that the Prime Minister was referring to North Waziristan where the Obama Administration has for quite some time been pressurising the government to launch an offensive. However, the second meeting that took place in the Presidency that resulted in a joint resolution by President Zardari, Prime Minister Gilani and COAS General Kayani that neither the US will be allowed to launch unilateral operations nor the government will take part in them is even more important. This is a step in right direction but certainly is not the kind of strategic defiance that needs to be shown at the moment. Although the US must to be held back with full force, it is nonetheless satisfying that our government is feeling the compulsion that a line needs to be drawn somewhere. But, with this resolve, a decision that ought to have been taken; that of the bringing down the intruding drones was somehow not taken. It is only if the government is able to take a stand on drone attacks and practically destroys one or two of them as a warning to the US to permanently end this aerial adventurism, the public would think that the government is serious in protecting its sovereignty in real sense of the term. Having said that the meeting in Presidency was crucial and at the same time significant. It seems that the civil-military leadership has now started to realise that Pakistans bane is nothing but American involvement in countrys internal affairs and its machinations on our soil ranging from highly controversial Operation Geronimo to lots of other covert operations to deadly drone attacks that collectively have pushed the country on the brink of total disaster. It is apparent that the backlash of US drone attacks is such that multiple explosions now rock the country each day and our markets, roads and streets present a picture of some dreadful war zone. Nothing of the sort had happened before the country had joined the unholy alliance with the US post 9/11. Our cities and tribal areas were peaceful and we were literally unaware of the term suicide bomber. Should we wish to get back to the same era of peace, calm and harmony, it is the US that needs to be kept at an arms length. And the prescription to this course as rightly suggested by Mian brothers is to stop relaying on US aid.