David...I say the best response by the Pakistani government is to move more Pak troops from Indian border to Afghan border and kill a huge number of Taliban and al Qaida. These backward rural folks like to be with a winner, whoever it may be, and the Gov't of Pakistan can most effectively keep popular support by flat out fighting long term, occupying former loosely governed northern provinces, and using the big stick regularly against the terrorists.

Trying to dialolgue with and coddle the terrorists will not, has not, and never will work. It is a Catch 22 best delt with, my view, by perpetual pro-active military action.

You can't operate a civil society under terrorist occupatin, and it is equally hard to do so under Pak rule...unless you defeat, occupy, and then administer using formerly unused locals to run local governance but keeping them all on a short reign.