Pakistan won’t allow NATO weapons

Pakistan will not allow the supply of arms and ammunition to Afghanistan in NATO containers under the new deal with the United States and the agreement, which will be signed soon after its endorsement by the federal cabinet on Wednesday, will be valid until the end of 2015.
Before the agreement on fresh rules and regulations for the NATO supplies, the United States was urging Pakistan to accede to its demand for a prolonged use of the supply lines through its soil so that there shall be a continuity of supplies including food, oil and medicines to the American military bases in Afghanistan in the coming years. However, Pakistan showed its inability to agree to a long term deal on NATO supplies after which the date of December 31, 2015 was agreed upon for the end of NATO supplies but at the same time it was also decided that the term of deal could be extended for the subsequent periods of one year after mutual consultations. The draft of the MoU between Pakistan and NATO to be signed soon by Islamabad and Washington also says that both countries will also have to inform each other in writing if they want to discontinue the MoU.
To a query on the finalisation of MoU with NATO on the supplies to Afghanistan, Foreign Office spokesman Moazzam Khan said at his weekly press briefing, “As you know, it (MoU) has been approved by the cabinet and hopefully will be signed very soon. At the moment I cannot get into the specifics of the MoU, but what I can tell you is that the MoU is in line with the parliamentary recommendations.”
The MoU, which according to its draft has been prepared according to the UN charter, will not allow the transport of arms and ammunition to Afghanistan via Pakistan. However, military equipment for the Afghan National Army will be allowed.
It says that the transport of non-lethal cargo which includes food and medicine will be allowed in containers measuring 20 by 40 feet.
The list of 24 prohibited items has been given in the form of an attached annex ‘A’ under the title of ‘prohibited US Cargo’ with the draft of MoU. The prohibited items include small arms and light weapons of all types, anti-tank weapons of all types, mortars of all types, tanks and armored vehicles, combat aircraft and helicopter, chemical and biological weapons and hazardous waste material including depleted uranium ammunition etc.
According to the draft, two routes will be used by containers carrying NATO supplies. Containers on the southern route will travel to Afghanistan from Karachi (Bin Qasim Port) via Chaman. On the northern route, containers will travel from Karachi (Bin Qasim Port) via Torkham to Afghanistan.
The MoU further says that there will be no warehouses or storage facilities provided for American goods and no new no objection certificates (NOCs) will be required for the transit. Pakistan will also be allowed to stop the transit of goods which fall outside the parameters of the MoU. Pakistan will also provide facilities for the security and quick transfer of the cargo and will keep the US government informed about the monitoring and transit points of the cargo. Containers travelling to Afghanistan will be bound to return via Pakistan.
It says there would be no tax or duty charged on the containers, however, commercial carriers will have to pay fees. “New fees can also be introduced for the quick transfer of cargo,” it said. The Defence Ministry will act as a central coordination authority and review the daily operations and implementation of the supply route.

Under the MoU, the United States intends for the Office of Defense Representative Pakistan (ODRP) of the US Department of Defense to be central coordinating authority. Officials from both countries will meet once every two months to evaluate the implementation of the MoU. According to the draft, any misunderstanding will be cleared through mutual understanding, not a third party.
It is written in the draft that commercial carriers will be responsible for any damage to the goods.
Pakistan and US are likely to sign another MoU in September this year for the ‘carpeting’ of damaged Pakistani roads and highways due to heavy NATO traffic on them for years after Islamabad became the part of US led war on terror back in 2001 when horrendous acts of terror took place in the United States, for which al Qaeda militants based in Afghanistan were blamed by Washington.
Under that separate MoU, the United States would provide for the expenditure worth millions of dollars on the rebuilding of the roads and highways used by NATO vehicles in Pakistan.