Exuding confidence on the reopening of closed NATO supply routes to Afghanistan, a top aide of US President Barack Obama has said that the US is moving in the right trajectory with Pakistan on the issue.
“We’re moving in the right trajectory and that we can accomplish what is now a shared objective with the Pakistanis at reopening the supply lines,” Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters in Chicago.
The remarks by the White House official came hours after the meeting between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Asif Ali Zardari.
“What I will say on the supply lines, for instance, is you’ve seen very positive statements out of Islamabad about wanting to get this done. We, of course, have made positive statements as well by wanting to get this done. So now we’re in a process of our teams working with through the issues associated with the reopening of the GLOCs (ground lines of communication),” he said.
“We are confident that we’re going to be able to accomplish this objective. It’s a positive sign that after a difficult period in our relations and a parliamentary review of the relationship between the United States and Pakistan, that we’re not sitting down at the table and working through difficult issues like the ground supply lines,” Rhodes said.
Appearing at the same press conference, General John Allen, commander of the NATO and US forces in Afghanistan, said the closure of the supply routes did not had any impact on their operations in Afghanistan.
“With regard to the ground line of communication, it has not, in fact, negatively affected our prosecution of the campaign. Indeed, in some manner, some ways in which we measure our stockage, if you will, of certain capabilities in the battle space, they’re higher today than they were when the ground line of communications were closed,” he said.
“But there have been some very positive indications of late with the government in Islamabad about an interest in entering into negotiations, which I think you’re all aware of, to open the ground line of communications. I can’t tell you when that will occur – obviously sooner is better than later – but I can’t tell you when that will occur,” Allen said.
“One of the important realisations of that is that, in fact, the two countries are now talking about it… That, we view as being positive. We think it’s a good indication indicator of an improvement in the relationship. We hope to see that improve even more,” said Allen who recently met Pakistan army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani.
“I think that the trending right now is in a positive direction with respect to a variety of the conversations between Islamabad and ISAF, and Islamabad and Kabul, and Islamabad and the United States,” he said.
Western governments take vital decisions on national interest through their their parliament and on national interest the opposition and the govt are on one platform. In Pakistan normally such decision are taken by the army, however, for reasons best known to the army the decision of opening NATO supply route and apology on Salala tragedy was left to the Parliament. Here no one is thinking of national interest but of gaining mileage at the expense of country. PML(N) and PTI are out to malign the PPP as working against national interest if they go for re opening the NATO route, which is in Pakistan's interest. PTI, PML (N) and the PPP must take this decision jointly and as soon as possible.
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