In a bid to punish Pakistan for blocking the NATO supply routes, the US and NATO on Friday decided against inviting Pakistan to the forthcoming NATO summit in Chicago.
According to reports, Pakistan’s chances of attending the forthcoming NATO summit in Chicago on May 20 and 21 have died down following a deadlock in Pakistan-US relations.
Both countries have adopted tough positions on their respective demands and a resolution in the immediate future appears highly improbable.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Friday said Pakistan had not been invited to the upcoming Chicago summit. Speaking to reporters, Rasmussen called on Pakistan to restore the NATO supply route.
“Our supply should be unblocked immediately,” Rasmussen said in reply to a question. The May 20-21 summit will be the biggest NATO summit in history, with more than 60 countries and organisations represented.
The US administration had previously termed Pakistan’s participation in the Chicago summit critical for the endgame in Afghanistan. Several American officials had repeatedly urged the Pakistani leadership to participate in the Chicago summit for lasting peace and stability in the region.
However, expectations on both sides took a nosedive when bilateral relations hit a new low following the NATO attack on Salala checkpost on November 26 last year, which resulted in killing 24 Pakistani soldiers. Pakistan suspended the NATO supply routes in protest and has demanded an apology from the US for resumption of these routes.
It has been learnt that US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Marc Grossman, had made an effort to convince Pakistan for reopening the NATO supply routes and attend the Chicago summit.The remaining contentious issues, he advocated, could be discussed simultaneously as the US was ready to listen and address “genuine” Pakistani concerns. However, the talks reached a stalemate when the Pakistani leadership, following the extensive parliamentary review, conveyed to the US administration in plain words that nothing short of an apology on the Salala incident was acceptable before moving forward on rebuilding trust and bilateral relationship. Even the offer made by Marc Grossman for releasing Pakistan s outstanding Coalition Support Fund (CSF) worth $1.2 billion, which has been withheld since December 2010, in case the country agreed to reopen supply routes, could not achieve the desired ends. Following this apparent deadlock, the US administration has decided against inviting Pakistan to the Chicago summit, in a bid to covey its displeasure on the latter’s reluctance to succumb to the American demands.
The other purpose of this decision, sources informed, was to make Pakistan realize that critical decisions on Afghanistan could be taken even without Pakistan’s participation.
The spokesperson of the US State Department, Victoria Nuland, played down the question of inviting Pakistan to Chicago summit. “The guest list is still something that we’re working on, particularly in the context of the ISAF meeting, which will have a larger participation,” she said while declining to comment when asked about their administration s expectations about Pakistani participation. In an earlier briefing, US Special Representative to NATO, Ivo Daalder, called Pakistan a very important country for the stability of the region, including Afghanistan. “The issue of which countries are going to be coming to Chicago is still under discussion at NATO, and we hope and expect that those issues will be resolved soon,” Ambassador Daalder said while going to discuss the suspension of ground supply routes, invariably establishing a correlation between the two. “As you know, we are in active bilateral consultations as well with a NATO participation in those consultations on finding ways to open the ground lines of communication through Pakistan into Afghanistan, which have now been closed for about six months,” he pointed out.
“Opening up these ground lines is extremely important for the stability of Afghanistan and the ability for our troops in Afghanistan to have the kinds of re-supply of resources that is necessary. Those negotiations are ongoing and we hope they can be completed successfully very soon,” the US envoy hoped. The US anticipates three results from the summit: An agreement on an interim milestone in 2013 when the International Security Assistance Force’s mission will shift from combat to support for the Afghan national security forces; an agreement on the size, cost and sustainability of Afghan forces beyond 2014; and a roadmap for NATO’s post-2014 role in Afghanistan.
Thank You so Much NATO, we dont need your invitation at all.
Given that Pakistan, China, Russia and India not invited to the summit either, even one blindfolds their patriotism and looks at this through a neutral lens— how can any defence analysts take this summit seriously?
Dude, none of these nations are a part of NATO (if you dont know it is NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION), Pakistan was in the picture because of the so called involvement in "war on terror". Pakistan was SOOO involved in this war that nobody knew which side they were on. Now that they know which side of the war Pak is fighting you are not invited anymore.
Getting impatient!
They have to be! Once they realize they are not getting the "money's worth". And that's a bad omen for Pakistan…
Watch now, in the course of last three months, how Pakistan arrived at the end of the road with no leverage left in it's favor…
The damage is permanent…
Desperate as well.
Who is content?
Part 1
Pakistan has had a crucial role in Afghanistan since the soviet war in 70's due to our strategic geographical and cultural ties with Afghanistan, where as Russia, China and India don’t have those advantages, or else NATO/West will either beg or give threats those countries. The west has only used, not partnered, with Pakistan and to only promote what it wants and its interest. Back in the 70's America was aiding Pakistan and Osama and other groups to fight communism and cold war. In the present day, communist have been replaced by taliban. In the future we can expect the same behavior from west if there is a war against Iran or another country.
Who is to blame for what Pakistan has suffered for all theses odd 30 years. The West, America, Taliban, Terrorist, communist, No. The blame is to Pakistani leadership, who submits our country’s interest to the West by taking billions of dollars of loans and aid money. It's time for Pakistani people, we the people, to change our mode of thinking. If we change our thinking and act accordingly the change will come in our country.
Part 2
Our way of thinking since the independence from British rule has not changed. Physically we were freed from British, but our mental capacity to date is limited to the colonial time, to ‘VIP’ culture, to British ruling system that they created in our villages and cities to rule us. In their own country they do not have the same system. We carried same ruling systems since the independence. And for such injustices to millions of Pakistanis we have been punished by such leader as Zardari and Gilani and many others in the parliament.
The world is decades ahead of us but we have the advantage to leap-frog and make a country that can be a model state to the world with technology and innovation. We have talented population and sufficient natural resources. Let us change our thinking, change our actions, change our ruling system to a just governing system and change our country.
Rise up together my people, rise up.
This man dies and is at the gate of the Underworld. Before letting him in, the Devil (who carries a cell phone these days) says this is the man's last chance to make a phone call – $1 per minute to the US ("Pakis there are still doing well"), $0.50 to UK ("mostly poor immigrants"), and $0.00 to Pakistan ("free calls within the same network: Hell to Hell").
rise up against who???????
Army is in total command Rangers are killing Liberals innocent and helping Taliban
We should rise against Imran Khan Nawz Shareef General Hameed Gul General KIANI…Etc Etc
Stop fooling ENOUGH
Now it's the best time and opportunity for Pakistan to say good bye to NATO as its non-NATO member and also come out of the so called war on terror, imposed by America, which has blown Pakistan to almost smithereens. .
Excellent … Let the Circus be … Let them take the 'critical' non-decisions with their fast deeting pomitical and economic capital … They are trying to pre-design Afghanistan … as all waning imperial powers have tried to do in history for areas they are forced to vacate …
The future of Afgjanistan will be decided by Afghans only … sitting on tbe dusty soil of Afgjanistan … not in Chicago or Bonn …
For the future of Afghanisyan, Pakistan should only engage with those who are on Afghan soil and have the credibility to make and honour commitments once the imperialisys ate defeayed and gone …
Hahahaha that says a lot.
Thats a big slap on face of Pakistan. Pakistanis are not tired of claiming that nothing good can happen anywhere, particularly in Afganistan, until unless Pakistan is made the chowdhary…. hahah Bana dia chor ko chowdhary lol…
Yeah , very right and every time Pakistan receives not on its face but on its ass.There cannot be any shameless country than Pakistan.
@Ravi
Shame on you. But what else one can expect other than a bigotary comment from a creature of your creed.
We are not dying to getting invited. In fact it was Pakistan who told Gromausen that we will not attend the meeting prior to bi-lateral agreement is reached. Nato statements are just face-saving. Do not forget that Pakistan refused to attend Bonn conference in the same context, a few months ago, and it failed to produce any results.
Indian government could not export simply TATA buses to Afghanistan and had to beg to their knees for Pak transit-permission. Let alone the major military movement through its territory, on and off.
hor choppo….strategic depth.
This is the punishment of almighty allah which is given to pakistanies due to the betrayal they have given to Afghan nation. Afghans fought for the sake of Islam but pakistan intention was not Islam but was STRATEGIC DEPTH. You people supported Mujahideen then created Taliban and brought usama to our land through whom Nato is now in our soil. You people just think about dollars and one American expert said that pakistanies can sell their………………for Dollars.The only solution for pakistan is now to repent and apologize for Afghans and seek MAGHFIRAT from Almighty allah. Accept Almighty Allah as a God not US.
Our best wishes with you…
Afghanistan suffered long and hard. It deserves a peaceful and prosperous future. That is an Afghanistan by the Afghans …
Very good decision. Pakistan is root cause of all terrorism in the world.
why this thief , who talk so big, should be there. if you want to destroy terrorism, destroy Pakistan.
Hold your horses and think hard what is really going on.Pls visit my favourite website and know the biggest conspiracies http://www.mullahmilitarymilitantsandjudiciary.bl…
Greatesy news I've heard for some time … Citizens of Pakistan will be spared the burden of expense for a freebie by the Crimesident and his lackeys … to attend a pointless Circus …
… The Circus is vainly attempting to 'design' Afghanistan to their very limited comprehension of how the East works with their fullest incompetence …
hahahahah INDIANS pleaseeeee STOPPPPP coming and commenting on our newspapers! thats all you guys ever do! get over Pakistan!
we DONT need the invitation!
looks like good old Uncle Sam is getting really desperate now 😛
Quote
NATO is about to hold its largest summit ever, with representatives from 60 countries and international organizations. In Chicago, NATO will be spending over $40 million on a meeting to talk about how to do more with less. Even without a mind reader in attendance, it sounds like a greater waste of money than the General Services Administration get-together in Las Vegas.
And NATO’s new raison d’etre sounds awful weak. “With the financial crisis in Europe, severe deficit reduction measures in the United States and increased pressure on defence budgets, NATO’s added value is to help countries work together,” announces the NATO website. “NATO has the capacity to connect forces and manage multinational projects.”
In other words, NATO is repositioning itself as a combination party planner and life coach for the military-industrial complex. It will no longer identify a larger civilizational goal for the alliance. It will simply connect members and help them work together. Maybe the next NATO secretary general should be Mark Zuckerberg.
Unquote
now it is critical that Pakistan should reply in the same manner saying no thank you we don't need to be their either. but lets say what PPP has to say. i assume other parties will not favor NATO supply route re opening.
lol! Who cares?
The end result of this conference would be the same as BON fire conference. Glad that we were saved from this useless conference. Conferences cannot achieve anything but nonetheless carry on NATO. your useless war will never end.
what difference does that make to an average Pakistani
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