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DPC threatens to block Nato supply routes
Fasahat Mohiuddin
Wednesday, July 04, 2012
From Print Edition
Karachi
Following the US’ apology on Tuesday for the death of 24 Pakistani soldiers in the Salala airstrike in November, the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) has threatened to block Nato supply routes and also asked truck drivers not to carry the supplies.
“The reopening of the supply routes will damage the nation,” the spokesman for the DPC told The News.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had announced that Pakistan was reopening its supply lines into Afghanistan after the apology.
In a statement, Clinton said Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar told her that the ground supply lines into Afghanistan were being opened and Pakistan would not charge any transit fee in the larger interest of peace and security in Afghanistan and the region.
Clinton said she “reiterated deepest regrets”, and offered condolences to the families of the Pakistan soldiers who lost their lives.
The Salala incident had severely strained ties between Islamabad and Washington, following the US raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad. Pakistan reacted by barring Nato from using the country routes for supplies destined for its troops in Afghanistan.
The closure of the supply routes had been costing US and its allies in Afghanistan about $100 million a month.
The DPC had recently warned that it would stage a long march to Islamabad if Nato supplies were restored.
The Jamaat-e-Islami spokesman also said his party would strongly oppose the restoration of supplies at all forums and levels.
The spokesman for the Sunni Tehreek said his party would lodge a strong protest over the restoration of Nato supplies.
“We will join all other religious parties to lodge a strong protest.”
The spokesmen for the Jaffaria Alliance and the Tanzeem-e-Islami shared similar views, terming the development “bad news” for the nation.