Pakistan will seek billions of rupees in damages from the United States and its NATO allies for damage caused to its roads and highways by heavy NATO traffic, along with taxation to be imposed on all containers crossing into Afghanistan through its border, as the joint session of parliament on ‘new terms of engagement’ with the US is likely to be convened in the next few days. The joint session of parliament has been planned tentatively for February 15 and 16 but with the ongoing political crisis in the country – Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is facing contempt of court charges in the Supreme Court – the session is likely to be delayed by a few more days.
This delay has also been the cause of serious concern for the US administration, which expects the restoration of NATO supplies after the joint session of parliament with some conditions attached to it. It is no more a secret that Pakistan will go for taxation on NATO containers in case parliament gives its nod to unblocking NATO supplies, which were suspended last year in November after NATO air strikes on two Pakistani border posts killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. However, there is another condition that will be attached specifically to the restoration of NATO supplies and that is Pakistan’s demand for payment from the US and its allies to repair the damage caused to its roads from the heavy traffic of containers on their way to Afghan through Pakistan.
“Our estimate suggests that around $1.3 billion are needed to repair the roads damaged by heavy NATO traffic and that hefty sum will be sought from the US and other NATO countries,” said an official here, seeking anonymity.
Federal Communications Minister Arbab Alamgir Khan also told parliament recently that 26 percent of various routes comprising some 4,046 kilometres used as NATO supply lines had suffered extensive damage.
A Pakistani diplomat also confirmed that Pakistan would seek damages from NATO along with taxing each container around $1,000.
He said the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) had prepared such recommendations along with a demand for a formal apology from the US/NATO for the attacks on Pakistani posts, but the grave political crisis was delaying the parliament session.
“The delay in the joint session of the National Assembly and Senate is causing serious concern and dismay among the US officials and they are highly perturbed over that and this resentment has been conveyed to Pakistani authorities as well,” he said.
However, he added that US officials had been told that nothing could be done for the restoration of NATO supplies unless and until parliament gave its nod.
