US must apologize for NATO routes to get reopenned: Pakistan

[RayKalm]

Pakistan has reiterated that it will not reopen the NATO supply routes into Afghanistan unless the US apologizes for the deadly airstrikes in November that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.


A US apology is "something which should have been forthcoming the day this incident happened, and what a partnership not only demands, but requires," Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said in an interview with the Foreign Policy magazine published on Monday.

It has been six months since Islamabad shut down the routes vitally used to transfer supplies to the US-led forces in neighboring Afghanistan after the US air raids on Pakistani soldiers.

Referring to new guidelines for the US-Pakistan ties approved by the parliament which call for a US apology, she Rabbani Khar said, "A representative parliament of 180 million people has spoken on one subject."

The US administration, however, has so far refused to apologize. The US-led military alliance now claims it has struck deals with Central Asian countries to transit supplies through their territories.

"For us in Pakistan... the most popular thing to do right now is to not move on NATO supply routes at all. It is to close them forever," Khar said.

"If I were a political advisor to the prime minister, this is what I would advise him to do. But I'm not advising him to do that... because what is at stake is much more important for Pakistan than just winning an election."

The Pakistani foreign minister also denounced Washington for carrying out strikes by its assassination drones in Pakistan's territory.

"If you are creating 10 more targets for every target you take, are you doing a service or a disservice to your eventual goal of winning the war?" she asked.

Washington claims that its airstrikes target militants, but local sources say civilians have been the main victims of the attacks. The UN has called the US drone attacks ‘targeted killings that flout international law.’

On January 31, US President Barack Obama publicly admitted that the US uses the unmanned drones in Pakistan and other countries.

 

[endia]

lol....only apologize?

 

[lem34]

Our political leaders who have been pro American are being left high and dry. Their "allies" Americans will not even give an apology so they can have face saving exercise. Excellent Americans way to go. Alienate the few friends you had in Pakistan

 

[kumarkumar1867]

24 soldiers were killed.... 24 precious lives wasted & their lives of their families & dependents crushed.. Only apologies wont work... Pakistan should demand Monitoring & Approval of Drone strikes to held in future to ensure such things wont happen again.

 

[Moazam Khan]

Beggars can not be choosers ..

 

[JanjaWeed]

What changed suddenly? wasn't she the one who said only a few weeks ago that ''we made our point, now it's time to move on with US ties''?

 

[Secur]

What changed suddenly? wasn't she the one who said only a few weeks ago that ''we made our point, now it's time to move on with US ties''?

Well you need to separate rumors and unconfirmed reports from actual news and facts ... The news that the supply routes will be opened soon is being heard from the day it was closed ... Do you see any progress so far ?

 

[Solomon2]

Excellent Americans way to go. Alienate the few friends you had in Pakistan

If you have to pay them to be your "friend" then they are only worth what you are willing to pay.

 

[Mercenary]

US won't need these supply routes for long.

US will be withdrawing all 30,000 troops from Afghanistan by end of September and ending all combat operations by end of 2013 and all combat troops by end of 2014.

They need these supply routes to remove their equipment from Afghanistan.

I say just give all this surplus equipment to Afghanistan.

 

[Karachiite]

Why not just show US the middle finger? An apology will not bring back the dead soldiers. Let them find a way through Central Asia, it'll only be more expensive and exhausting for them.