Govt admits lifting Nato supplies blockade

Pakistan

Govt admits lifting Nato supplies blockade

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Pakistan has partially allowed supplies for Nato forces in Afghanistan.

14 February,2012 06:23 pm

Islamabad publicly admitted Tuesday that it had allowed NATO to use Pakistani airspace to fly supplies into Afghanistan, despite a more than two-month blockade on the border crossings.The permission has been given for food items, a defence ministry official quoted Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar as saying at a function in Islamabad.Since the food items were perishable, we have allowed them to transport them by air to Afghanistan.We have told them to take the supplies out by air and dont bring more for the time being, the official quoted him as saying.Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani had said the other day that the parliament would decide about Nato supplies and Pakistan’s relations with the United States.US ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter last week created quite a stir by claiming that Pakistan’s airspace had been opened for Nato supplies.The Nato supplies were blocked following the deadly copter attack on Pakistani Salala checkposts that killed 24 Pakistani troops.Analysts have been predicting resumption of supplies in view of the track record of the Pakistani government which is largely dependent on aid and political legitimacy from the US.