Pakistan Agrees To Re-open NATO Supply Lines: Pakistani Analyst

Islamabad, May 17, IRNA – Editor of leading Pakistani newspaper on Wednesday said that Pakistan in principle has agreed to unblock supply routes for NATO forces in Afghanistan and formal announcement is likely to be made in coming days. Talking to IRNA, Mohammad Mallik editor of the English daily ‘The News’ called for the unity in Pakistan to face the challenges. Pakistan had closed NATO supply line over the killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers in November last year in a deadly U.S. air strike. Pakistan and U.S. officials had been holding talks in Islamabad over the past few days to discuss new terms for NATO to use Pakistan’s land routes for supplies. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar had said Pakistan has sought a formal apology from the United States over a Nato airstrike on its border posts. Mohammad Mallik added that some things are not declared and this is happening in the case of NATO supplies reopening. The editor expressing his views said that few days back Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that Pakistan could miss out on important talks on the future of Afghanistan if it fails to reopen supply routes, and now they have invited President Zardari to attend the conference, which shows that some kind of understanding between Pakistan and NATO has been reached. Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the invitation by Nato Secretary General for the Nato summit was unconditional and not linked to the opening of ground lines of communication for NATO or to any other issue. Mohammad Mallik said that hundreds of containers have also been dispatched to the port city of Karachi which is clear indication that the government is about to reopen NATO routes. The analyst called for the unity in Pakistan to face the changes. Mohammad Mallik was of the view "We have to emerge as a strong nation to confront difficult situations." “In fact our government has lost opportunities on negotiating table,” opined the senior journalist. To a question he said that yes the government would have to face the reaction from different groups on the decision to reopen NATO supplies, “but in my view all the political parties are playing election politics over the issue.” The major opposition parties in Pakistan have warned the government against reopening of NATO supplies saying the entire nation is united against such a decision. Pakistan and the U.S. have been in a standoff over the closure of NATO supply line since November. Islamabad had been demanding a public apology for the NATO strike for reopening the routes. The U.S. has so far refused to tender apology, but top American and NATO leaders have now pressed Islamabad to reopen key supply routes./end