Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar stated on Thursday that the case of reopening of Nato supply route would be decided by the parliament. She stated that she could not pre-empt the decision but added that it should not be made so much of a problem. This gives the impression that a suitable price for forgetting the Salalah incident has been agreed upon. However the government has left the matter to the will of the Parliament. This is a welcome change from its usual practice of bulldozing the nation into accepting its decisions.
The death of 24 of our soldiers has brought about a cataclysmic change in common perception about the US. The Army has stated that it believes the attack was carried out intentionally. The PPP setup ought to think long and hard about the public sentiment that is loathe to consider reopening of the border crossings. The blockade of over two months has greatly diminished US fighting ability in Afghanistan. Short of a formal apology, US top officials have been indirectly expressing their remorse at the attack, on every turn. Still the assurances by Washington to strictly observe rules of engagement, do not inspire confidence in the ongoing blandishments. With the war drawing to a close, there should be less need to reopen the routes altogether. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta’s confirmation on Thursday that the US would cease combat operations by 2013 show that the country has had enough of the Afghan war.
It is hoped that parliament’s decision will be in line with long term policy and interest. Pak-US relations should be based on equality and mutual respect. Concurrently, our role in the Afghan war should now be more than that of a bystander, who gets caught in the crossfire. The country can ill-afford to undergo continued outrage from the tribal areas. It is pleasing to note that Islamabad has offered to help in mediating a negotiated settlement of the conflict. The US must also appreciate Pakistan’s sacrifices made so far and avoid recommendations which could further destabilise the country.