The disturbing news is that the US is pressing our knock-kneed government to renege on our treaty with Iran on gas in return for some empty promises. What is worse is that, one hears, our government has reportedly buckled under this pressure even if that means severely compromising our energy security and a lasting damage to our relations with a time-tested friend from the Islamic world. We need to realise that ditching such a trusted neighbour would only make us lonelier still in the comity of nations. And how can we trust US? What is the guarantee that once we agree to abort the treaty with Iran, the US would help us in our energy requirements? If we did so, we would be foolishly throwing away the golden chips we have in hand at present to acquire massive supplies of gas in the immediate future that can be sold downstream to our next door neighbours thereby discounting our own supplies. Instead of having that secure option in the bag, we would be made to hang on indefinitely on false promises made by the most fickle and untrustworthy partner in the world, the United States. Please remember the US agenda is not to help Pakistan but to isolate Iran. It wouldn't care a fig if in the process, it also harms Pakistan. -DR ZAHEER ASGHAR KHAN, Lahore, via e-mail, August 19.