Senior US officials say they have been informed by Pakistani authorities that a high-level meeting in Islamabad on Wednesday agreed in principle to restore supplies for NATO forces in Afghanistan and to revive normal relationship.
President Asif Ali Zardari presided over the meeting that was attended by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Kayani Air Chief Marshal Qamar Suleman and ISI DG Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha.
The meeting of the country’s top civilian and military leadership as well as key allies was called just days ahead of the joint session of parliament that will mark the new parliamentary year but will mainly focus on the debate on the future relationship with the US and NATO allies. Although the government spokesmen told the media that the meeting reiterated the government’s earlier stance that parliament will take the decision on the NATO supply and relationship with the US, the leaders agreed to restore land route for NATO and revive normal ties with the US.
Senior US officials in Washington said they had been conveyed about the decisions after the Islamabad meeting. In return the US will also allow the equipments delivery to Pakistan which had been blocked after Islamabad blocked NATO supply line in November. The meeting also decided to receive the top US visitors whenever they wanted to visit Pakistan and they agreed with the proposed visit of the US CENTCOM chief General Mathis, who is likely to visit later this month.
General Mathis told reporters in Washington last week that he will discus, besides other important issues, the plan of using Pakistan land route for the American troops at the time of withdrawal from Afghanistan. “This has also been conveyed to the U.S. authorities in Washington,” the US sources said. The US plans to withdraw several thousands troops this year as part of its Afghan exit strategy. The summoning of long-awaited joint session of the parliament to meet on March 17 is also in line with the understanding reached in Wednesday’s meeting, sources told Online in Islamabad.
The Parliamentary Committee on National Security had been tasked with giving recommendations to reevaluate ties with the US/NATO and ISAF following NATO, which had already submitted its recommendations.
Participants of the meeting were of the view that the coalition will have no problem in dominating the join session of parliament during the debate on the US ties as they were now in complete command of both houses of parliament, official sources in Islamabad said.
The army chief told the meeting that the military will fully respect the decision by the parliament and civilian leadership, sources in Islamabad said.
Pakistan agrees to restore NATO supplies, revive ties
