Pakistan cuts supply to NATO

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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By Nasrullah Afridi

BARA: In a major development, the federal government on Friday announced disconnection of supply lines to the allied forces stationed in Afghanistan through Pakistan in an apparent reaction to a ground attack on a border village in South Waziristan agency by the Nato forces.

Political authorities of the Khyber Agency claimed to have received verbal directives to immediately halt transportation of all kinds of goods meant for the US-led Nato forces in Afghanistan for an indefinite period.

Authorities claimed the decision was taken in the wake of the growing unrest in the Khyber Agency that provides for the only ground link of the country to the war-torn Afghanistan. “Until now, drivers of the vehicles carrying goods meant for the foreign forces in Afghanistan were directed to reach the tribal agency between 7am to 10am, which were then escorted to the border town of Torkhum by the Khassadar force,” the authorities told The News.

The authorities claimed that due to repeated attacks on the personnel of the Khassadar forces during the last one week and abduction of a few personnel, it had become difficult for the security forces to provide foolproof security to the supply lines.

Independent sources, however, claimed that the government feared retaliation by the tribesmen against a recent ground attack conducted by the Nato forces in Angoor Adda of the South Waziristan Agency that triggered condemnation from various quarters, including the government of Pakistan itself.

NWFP Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani had likened the attack to an aggression against a sovereign state, saying the people of the country expected the Pakistan Army to give a befitting reply to the attack. He said that some twenty innocent people lost their lives — most of them were women and children.

The US government had accepted responsibility for the attack but did not offer any apology for the same and instead announced to launch more such attacks against the militants across the border, if so required in future.

Pakistan cuts supply lines to Nato forces

About time!!!

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Re: Pakistan cuts supply to NATO

Im surprised no one commented on this one bit...

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Re: Pakistan cuts supply to NATO

pretty fair i say

they break our rules

we break their game?

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Re: Pakistan cuts supply to NATO

Really!!!!!unbelieveable.

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Re: Pakistan cuts supply to NATO

NATO isn't permitted to launch attacks on Pakistani soil and so they should refrain from it. If they don't, Pakistan too reserves the right to inflict damage upon their infrastructure. I welcome this piece of news.

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Re: Pakistan cuts supply to NATO

Atleast we should commend such moves, otherwise why would the politicians running the show dare protest, when the people arent appreciative of their retaliatory moves. I mean we are quick to criticize the Govt everytime the attacks happen, but we arent appreciative when they do something to prevent it, we need to be fair.

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Re: Pakistan cuts supply to NATO

this is just show. During Musharraf's time, when these things happened, he wasn't making enough noise and that led to his downfall with the people. So the present govt knows they have to make some symbolic move that public will perceive as pro-Pakistan!

What happens behind the headlines is a different matter altogether

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Re: Pakistan cuts supply to NATO

^^ Show or reality, it may send some message to our western "allies" that they will not get supplies on time or we can be instrumental in damaging their forces in Afghanistan by blocking the aid.

We should appreciate and back our government on each and every step they take in our interest.

Zardari is set to visit China, let see what would be the out come of this visit.

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Re: Pakistan cuts supply to NATO

when the govt figures out what they are saying, then it may be worth talking about. right now two ministries have two diff stories

Ministries of defence, interior take varying positions: Suspension of Nato supplies to Afghanistan -DAWN - Top Stories; September 07, 2008

Ministries of defence, interior take varying positions: Suspension of Nato supplies to Afghanistan

By Aman Azhar

ISLAMABAD, Sept 6: The ministries of interior and defence have taken diametrically opposite positions on the issue of halting Nato supplies to Afghanistan via the Torkham border post.

While the former says it is a temporary disruption because of ‘security concerns’, the latter insists that the government decided to stop the supplies indefinitely because Pakistan has issues with the allied forces’ recent incursions inside the Pakistani territory.

Talking to DawnNews at the Prime Minister’s House, PM’s Adviser on Interior Rehman Malik said the government had not stopped Nato supplies through Pakistan.

“The Nato supplies were temporarily halted after around 20 soldiers of the Frontier Constabulary were captured by the militants in the area from where the supplies cross into Afghanistan,” Mr Malik said.

“In fact, let me tell you that three trucks carrying Nato supplies were attacked en route to Afghanistan, compelling the government to secure the area,” he said.

Mr Malik said the supplies were given a go-ahead on Friday night after security forces had secured the area. Earlier in the day, the Minister of Defence Ahmed Mukhtar had said exactly the opposite.

“The government has stopped the oil supply to Nato forces following attacks into Pakistan’s territory,” Mr Mukhtar told DawnNews.

“The attacks by international forces deployed in Afghanistan had been continuing despite protests lodged by Pakistan”, he added.

Observers say the latest claim by Mr Malik, within hours of the Defence minister’s statement, and less than 24 hours after 30 trucks taking Nato supplies had been stopped for an indefinite period smacks of the prevailing confusion within the government on what policy to pursue in the wake of continuing attacks by US-led forces inside Pakistan’s territory

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Re: Pakistan cuts supply to NATO

Dont make too much of the news

h t t p://jang.com.pk/jang/sep2008-daily/07-09-2008/up35.gif

Pakistan is not gona cut supply at least not when transaction is taking place that will send the signal to USA that new Pakistani setup is not going to corporate and this is the last thing that any Pakistani Govt (be it political or dictator) want to tell US....

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Reminds me of McCain singing the song Ba Ba Bab Iran.

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Lets see how it works out…

Pakistan blocks fuel supply route to Western forces | Reuters

Pakistan blocks fuel supply route to Western forces

Sat Sep 6, 2008 3:29pm IST

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By Saad Khan
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan blocked a major fuel supply route for Western forces in Afghanistan on Saturday in response to a raid by U.S. forces into northwest Pakistan this week, the defence minister said.
U.S. commandos attacked suspected militants inside Pakistani territory on Wednesday, killing 20 people including women and children, Pakistani officials said, and drawing a furious response from the Pakistani government.
** “We have told them that we will take action and we have already taken action today. We have stopped the supply of oil and this will tell how serious we are,” Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar told Dawn Television. **
Fuel supplies have been blocked from crossing through the main crossing point at Torkham on the Pakistani-Afghan border near Peshawar, capital of North West Frontier Province.
Earlier, an official in the northwest said the fuel was being stopped temporarily because of worries about security on the Pakistani side. Militants have been attacking trucks in the Khyber Pass, on the way to Torkham.
The decision to block fuel crossing the border at Torkham illustrates just how vulnerable supplies for U.S. and other foreign forces in Afghanistan are.
Most fuel and other supplies for U.S. forces in Afghanistan are trucked through Pakistan, crossing the border at two points: Torkham and Chaman, to the southwest.
The Chaman crossing, where supplies bound for foreign forces in the Afghan south, particularly Kandahar, pass in from Pakistan, was operating normally on Saturday.

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and on the other hand you have this statement

Ministries of defence, interior take varying positions: Suspension of Nato supplies to Afghanistan -DAWN - Top Stories; September 07, 2008

Ministries of defence, interior take varying positions: Suspension of Nato supplies to Afghanistan

By Aman Azhar

ISLAMABAD, Sept 6: The ministries of interior and defence have taken diametrically opposite positions on the issue of halting Nato supplies to Afghanistan via the Torkham border post.

While the former says it is a temporary disruption because of ‘security concerns’, the latter insists that the government decided to stop the supplies indefinitely because Pakistan has issues with the allied forces’ recent incursions inside the Pakistani territory.

**Talking to DawnNews at the Prime Minister’s House, PM’s Adviser on Interior Rehman Malik said the government had not stopped Nato supplies through Pakistan.

“The Nato supplies were temporarily halted after around 20 soldiers of the Frontier Constabulary were captured by the militants in the area from where the supplies cross into Afghanistan,” Mr Malik said.

“In fact, let me tell you that three trucks carrying Nato supplies were attacked en route to Afghanistan, compelling the government to secure the area,” he said.

Mr Malik said the supplies were given a go-ahead on Friday night after security forces had secured the area. **

Earlier in the day, the Minister of Defence Ahmed Mukhtar had said exactly the opposite.

“The government has stopped the oil supply to Nato forces following attacks into Pakistan’s territory,” Mr Mukhtar told DawnNews.

“The attacks by international forces deployed in Afghanistan had been continuing despite protests lodged by Pakistan”, he added.

Observers say the latest claim by Mr Malik, within hours of the Defence minister’s statement, and less than 24 hours after 30 trucks taking Nato supplies had been stopped for an indefinite period smacks of the prevailing confusion within the government on what policy to pursue in the wake of continuing attacks by US-led forces inside Pakistan’s territory
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