A 'smart path' to deal with Musharraf

Terming the political situation in Pakistan as 'very troublesome and precarious,' Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards has said the United States should adopt a 'smart path' to deal with General Pervez Musharraf.

'It is very troublesome. It is a precarious situation. Musharraf is not a wonderful leader. He has done a lot of bad things. There is a dangerous radical element within Pakistan. I think there is a smart path for America on this, understanding how volatile the situation is,' Edwards said on CNN's Late Edition programme.

'First of all, I think we should reform the nature of our aid (to Pakistan) and use aid as the -- as our leverage tool,' he said, adding, 'what we have been doing is essentially aiding Musharraf as opposed to aiding the Pakistani people.'

'We ought to have a multi-lateral approach to this problem (political crisis). We should not be doing this alone. Other countries have an interest. Other countries have a stake in what is happening there,' Edwards said.

'We need to intensify our diplomacy. I think all these things in combination are the comprehensive way to deal with what is a very volatile, dangerous situation. They Pakistan have nuclear weapons. They are in constant conflict with India over Kashmir, and it is a volatile political situation. So, it is something America needs to be paying a lot of attention to,' Edwards added.