ISLAMABAD – Pakistan is considering blocking supplies to the US forces inAfghanistan through the Pak-Afghan border as retaliation to Washington’shostile attitude, The Nation has learnt.
Senior officials at the foreign ministry saidlink>Pakistanlink> was “considering this option” butthere “has been no decision as yet.”
One official said: “This option is on the table and is being discussed bythe diplomats, the civilian leaders and the military. We will reach adecision soon.”
He added: “The [Pakistani] diplomats believe it will be a good strategy tocounter the US’ aggression. We have this weapon [of blocking the supplies].”
The US uses military supply lines that run food and equipment fromlink>Pakistanlink>to Afghanistan.
Reports said the US was “watching for Pakistan’s next moves” as the twocountries struggle to retain the relationship. President Donald Trump’sdecision this month to withhold military aid tolink>Pakistanlink> shocked Islamabad.
The government has been under pressure from the opposition parties to hitback.
link>Pakistanlink> has rejected the US allegations thatit was not taking action against all the terror networks and alsoquestioned Trump’s claim of giving $33 billion tolink>Pakistanlink> as security assistance.
Islamabad said it had fought the anti-terror war largely from its ownresources for the sake of the country’s and global peace.
On Friday, US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis told journalists thatlink>Pakistanlink> had not indicated to shut off groundsupply lines, or air over-flights.
He said the US was still in contact withlink>Pakistanlink> to coordinate military supply routesfor its forces in Afghanistan even after Trump suspended securityassistance to link>Pakistanlink> .
Mattis said the US Central Command head General Joseph Votel had spoken toArmy Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa a few days ago.
In 2011, link>Pakistanlink> had closed its border to the Natosupplies into the landlocked Afghanistan amid tension with the US. Theseincidents included the US air raid that killed Al-Qaeda founder Osama binLaden.
Then the US had relied on cargo flights and used a more costly northernroute through Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus.
Another official at the foreign ministry said the US might have options forsupplies to its forces in Afghanistan butlink>Pakistanlink> route was the best choice –considering the cost and security. “When we had stopped the supplies in2011, the US was quite disturbed. It will not be easy for them to changethe route,” he added.
Major opposition parties, the link>Pakistanlink>People’s Party and thelink>Pakistanlink> Tehreek-e-Insaf have urged thegovernment to shut the Afghanistan supplies to pressurise the US.
Close aides of the decision makers said the government would consult allthe parties to take a united stand on the Pak-US tension.
“A joint session of the parliament will be summoned soon to discuss thesituation. There will be a united decision on the national integrity,” saida federal minister.
Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua has been more optimistic saying thePakistan-US ties will return to normalcy soon. However, she said Trump’santi-Pakistan tweet was “beyond comprehension”.
She said Islamabad wanted good ties with Washington, addinglink>Pakistanlink> was also focusing on better terms withRussia.
Haqqani network, Janjua said, was not active insidelink>Pakistanlink> . “In fact, the enemies oflink>Pakistanlink> are gaining foothold in Afghanistan,”she pointed out.
This week, the influential New York Times has advised Trump to adopt“diplomatic tools” as the US “cannot afford to walk away from Pakistan”.
“Almost every military flight into Afghanistan goes through Pakistaniairspace. Most supplies travel along Pakistani roads and rails.link>Pakistanlink> could shut down American access at anymoment, and some Pakistani officials are threatening to do just that.Trump’s bombast and the precipitous way, the decision seems to have beenmade have led to doubts that Mr Trump has a serious plan for managing theramifications of this move,” the NYT wrote in its editorial “Pakistan, theendlessly troublesome ally”.