Merely having dinner with Yousaf Raza Gilani, who is known to be an army protégé, unlike president Asif Ali Zardari, is hardly going to resolve the problems of terrorism we face. We should temper the Mohali spirit with the realism of what we know from today's events. As far as Americans are concerned, their relationship with Pakistan is one of mutual convenience. With their economy in the shape that it is in, Pakistan cannot survive without American financial aid. With their presence in Afghanistan what it is today, the Americans cannot sustain their troops without logistical support from Pakistan.