Pakistan poised to end blockade of NATO supply routes

PanARMENIAN.Net - Pakistan on Tuesday, May 15 looked poised to end a nearly six-month blockade of NATO ground supply routes into Afghanistan, succumbing to a key demand of the West ahead of a summit in Chicago next week, AFP reported.

Islamabad shut its Afghan border crossings to NATO supplies after U.S. air strikes killed 24 soldiers last November, provoking a new crisis in ties on top of the outcry from the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May that year.

On Tuesday, civilian and military leaders are to discuss reopening the supply route at a meeting of the defence committee of cabinet, which will be followed by a meeting of army chiefs and the regular cabinet on Wednesday.

Sources familiar with the discussions told AFP the government had already effectively taken the decision to reopen the lines, probably by the beginning of next week, and hoped to be invited to the May 20-21 NATO summit in Chicago.

Pakistani and U.S. officials had reached a "broad agreement" on fees and logistics for the fuel and other non-military supplies that would go overland through Pakistan to Afghanistan, one source said.

"The meetings will indicate that the decision has the backing of all the stakeholders," the source told AFP. "This should minimise the prospect for Islamist groups to exploit the situation in the hope that they'll get the backing of the military establishment."

Pakistan has called in vain for an end to U.S. drone strikes targeting Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants on its soil, and a formal apology for the November air strikes.

Analysts say Pakistan has no choice but to reopen the border. Its relationship with the United States is key to maintaining ties with multilateral lending agencies needed to help boost its state coffers, at a time when major NATO discussions are under way affecting its own strategic future.